A Duet of Pigtails - The Age of the Black Blade
by Libby Thomas
Summary: Only days after the tragic death of Saotome Akane, a challenger arrives on the steps of the Saotome-Tendo dojo. Her name: Fuitamu Keiei. Her intent: to gain the hand of the fiancé she lost so many years ago. Her vow: to gain Ranma's hand back at any c
1. Default Chapter Title

_**A Duet of Pigtails: The Age of the Black Blade  
Part One: Shuradou**_

By Rob Barba and VGAP  
Based on the series by Libby Thomas  
And characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi and CLAMP 

~*~ 

"Nabiki?" Ukyo tapped the shoulder of her friend. "Are you okay?" 

"No, no I'm not," the older woman said. "I'm not sure if I will ever be." At the mention of Nabiki's problem, Ukyo nodded soberly. It was all she could do to put up a brave front as well. It was all any of them were doing, especially in the past few days. Only four days had passed since Akane's funeral, and a dark pallor seemed to nestle over the entire neighborhood, as though the sun had only come for the youngest Tendo daughter. For the past few days, it had been perpetually cloudy; not raining, as though out of respect for Ranma, but not clear, either. 

"How's--" Ukyo ventured asking. 

"Still won't speak to anyone, Ukyo," Nabiki commented, wistfully. "He sits in the dojo, and hasn't come out to eat or drink, or anything. Everyone's tried to do something, but it's no good. If it wasn't for Kasumi, there'd be no one to take care of little Akama right now. It's not like he's human anymore." Her eyes began to well. 

Ukyo's eyes also teared in understanding. She wished that she could do something for her best friend and sometime love interest. She'd always wanted her shot at Ranma, but Akane got in the way, and in the end was the one that successfully got him. Ukyo wanted another chance, but not at this price...never at this price. She vowed to herself that she would try again, but it would be a while down the road, when--if--he would let anyone back into his heart again. 

  
  
A voice called softly from behind her, "Ukyo-sama, if you want to go see Ranma-sama, I can keep the restaurant open for you." As always, Konatsu was sacrificing for her benefit, allowing her to go to the man she loved; just as he always did, even prior to Ranma and Akane's marriage. 

For the first time in a while, she realized how much Konatsu was just like her, being nothing more than a friend, though wishing for more than was possible at the present time--perhaps forever. It was not an insignificant deed, even considering that Konatsu himself respected Ranma almost as much as he adored her. 

Without comment, she turned and gave him a hug. "Thank you, Konatsu. And I'm sorry." 

Konatsu, feeling uncomfortable, asked, "Why, whatever for, Ukyo-sama?" But she didn't answer, merely letting go of her embrace and running upstairs for a jacket. Turning to Nabiki, he asked, "Do you know what that was all about, Tendo-san?" 

Nabiki didn't answer him. She was too preoccupied in trying not to cry. 

~*~ 

The dojo, dark and silent, just like the sky, just like the world. 

"Ranma, you're not doing any good to yourself sitting here like this," a voice said, on the verge of exasperation. "You've sat here for four days, like some damn statue!" The speaker was a young man, 22 years old, with a mop of jet black hair tied somewhat in place by a yellow bandanna. His green eyes flickered between concern and anger, and whenever he opened his mouth, a pair of canines longer than the human norm showed. He wore nothing but a faded black tunic and blue monpei pants, secured with a black belt. "Damn it," Ryoga said, "why are you doing this to yourself?" 

The person whom Ryoga addressed was a breathtakingly beautiful young woman, though looks alone can oft be deceiving. She had long red hair tied in a Chinese braid, though it was unraveling from the looks of it. Her normally sparkling blue eyes were almost the same shade of red as her hair; tear tracks down her face told the reason why. Her clothing, consisting of a black long-sleeve Chinese tang, and matching mist-gray pants, were rumpled, as though she'd slept in them for several days. 

Of course, that would imply that this person slept. Or ate. Or did anything in the scope of humanity's basic functions. Such was, however, not the case. Since her wife's untimely death, Saotome Ranma didn't really live within the realm of human functions any more. Nor did she want to live in the scope of humanity. She wanted nothing anymore, except for the sweet pain of emptiness and entropy. 

**"DAMN YOU, RANMA!"** Ryoga screamed, unable to tolerate the redhead statue bit any longer, **"WOULD YOU WANT AKANE TO SEE YOU LIKE THIS?!?! HAVE YOU FORGOTTEN EVERYTHING THAT MADE HER LOVE YOU?!?!!? WHAT HAPPENED TO THAT IRRESPONSIBLE BASTARD WHO SHE LOVED?!?!?!"** Ryoga grew angry and more frustrated at his friend's ominous silence. **"WHAT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS, RANMA?!?!?! HOW DO YOU THINK WE FEEL, SEEING YOU LIKE THIS?!???! WHAT ABOUT YOUR SON?!?!? OR HAVE YOU GIVEN UP ON HIM, TOO?!!?!?"** Ryoga got so infuriated that he punched forward without thinking, slamming his fist into Ranma's face. The fact that he lost control like that, when he'd spent so much time with Akari learning to control that anger, worried him. 

The thing that worried him more, though, was that Ranma took the blow. Didn't block, didn't counter, didn't even try to dodge, but took the hit right across her face and didn't flinch as it hit. She sat there, with her cheek turning red from where he'd connected, continuing to stare at the blank wall of the dojo. 

Ryoga, stunned by what he'd done to his closest friend, said, "I'm sorry, Ranma," and walked out the door, back into the Tendo home. 

  
  
"Ryoga, is he...?" a woman's voice asked. 

"No, he isn't, Saotome-san," Ryoga answered to Ranma's mother. "I wish he would." Ryoga sat at the table, joining Nodoka and Kasumi. A short distance away, a Panda was playing a solitary game of go. The seat across from him, almost always occupied by the owner of the house, was and had been empty for the past few days. It didn't appear as though it was going to change anytime soon. 

"Would you like some tea, Ryoga?" Kasumi asked, which Ryoga took gladly. Since Akane's death, Kasumi had hovered near the Tendo home, as did Nodoka. Although she lived with her husband now, she knew that her family needed her more than ever. Sadly, though, things had seemed too quiet. Her father, still hurting all these years after their mother's death, had not come out of his room since Akane's funeral. Likewise, Ranma was doing much the same thing in light of his circumstances. The fact that two men of such different generations could act the same bothered Kasumi. 

She looked around the room. There weren't any smiles there, and there shouldn't have been, to be honest. The pain was still present, permeable and palpable. Time would heal the wounds, but the key there was time. 

  
  
The wail of a baby sounded in Ranma's room. Young Akama was crying, calling out to be fed by a mother that could no longer do so for him. Kasumi thought that only the baby, a mere two weeks old, would be the only one spared the pain of what had happened. Akama would grow up, never knowing his namesake personally, though she knew Ranma would tell his son all about Saotome Akane. 

Instinctively, both Nodoka and Kasumi rose to their feet. Both women knew the call of motherhood well, as Nodoka was now a grandmother and Kasumi was in her first trimester, though it had yet to show on her. Either one would have gone for the formula sitting in the refrigerator, if Nabiki hadn't come in at exactly that moment and heard the child. Hearing Akama, she handed her jacket to Ukyo, then turned towards the kitchen, commenting, "I'll get it, you two. Stay put." 

Nodoka and Kasumi looked at each other and gave a sort of smile. If there had been one good thing that had come out of this, it had been the change that had come over Nabiki in the past few days. Nabiki was tending to Akama with a determination as though he had been her own child. Somehow, a new sense of compassion had been engendered in the young woman, and hopefully it would stay there. Racing upstairs, bottle in hand, Nabiki said, "I'll be back in a few moments, Ukyo!" 

  
  
In the meanwhile, the okonomiyaki chef pulled a seat right next to Ryoga. "How is he?" she asked, as Kasumi poured a cup for the new arrival. 

"Not well, Ukyo," Ryoga admitted. "I spent the past hour trying to get through to him, and it...." Ryoga shook his head in frustration. "Arrgh, damn it, it's like he doesn't want to live, Ukyo! Like he'd rather join Akane!" 

In spite of the situation, Ukyo smiled. "You know, it wasn't that long ago that you would have wanted him to be...." She trailed off, rather than state that word. At the moment, it just didn't seem like the right thing to say. 

"I know," he said, his voice dropping to a whisper, as his head lowered. The reaction was so unlike Ryoga, everyone did a double take. "That was before I realized that he was my closest pal, before I realized a lot of things." 

Ukyo turned to Nodoka. "Auntie, isn't there anything we can do about Ranma?" 

"I don't know, Ukyo," she replied gently. "I just don't know." 

The group stared at the table in collective silence, trying to reason the unreasonable, and hoping for some sort of answer to the problem that lay before them. 

~*~ 

In another part of Nerima, a young woman walked down the street, glancing at a paper every so often and looking at houses she passed by, as though she were searching for a specific address. She was apparently in her late teens or early twenties, with short black hair and black eyes, with high cheekbones, in a classic face. She wore no makeup, and the loose sweater and jeans she wore hinted at a well-kept figure. Over her shoulder, she had slung a long pack, as though she was carrying a pool cue or something of the like. 

As she rounded the corner, she heard a voice call out, "Fair maiden that I have not seen before, thou hast caught the attention of the noble and magnificent Kuno Tatewaki. Who are you, thou vision of loveliness?" 

Without looking up from her map, or even stopping, she said, "My name is Keiei. Fuitamu Keiei of the School of Combined Jigenryu and Bushin Arts." Her voice was so lacking in interest, a recorded response of a phone service would have sounded livelier. 

"And what is your reason for arrival, oh goddess who I see before me?" 

She considered answering with a line along "None of your business, bozo," but correctly determined that such phrase would not repel him. Still peering into her map, she replied, "It is a burning desire for revenge, and a promise to keep. I come back to Tokyo to seek revenge against my rival, and to find the person who I am to be with." 

"Well, I can help you with the latter, for if fate is to be true, then I challenge you!" 

Keiei looked up from her map. "Come again?" 

Kuno raced in towards her, bokken at the ready. "The contest rules are set: if I win, I shall date with you. If you are the victor, than I shall allow you to date with me!" He brought his bokken up as he charged, the brown-lacquered wooden sword held in a thrusting position, as though one single strike would be all that he would need. 

Muttering to herself, "Great. Just great," she folded her map, slid it in her back pocket, then stopped. Hearing his approach, she turned her head slightly and followed his path. 

  
  
Tatewaki Kuno, at the age of 23, was already a grandmaster of Kendo, also the national champion in the same field. Though not respected by most of other martial artist in Nerima, he was skillful with his weapon and knew the art of swordsmanship quite well. No ordinary martial artist could hope to defeat him. 

Keiei was anything but ordinary. 

In a move that few could have matched, she spun, pulled out a long, jet black object out of the pack, and screamed, "Shippu-kurogen!" Keiei slashed the bokken at an incredible speed, far faster than Kuno could have even hoped to accomplish. 

Kuno stared in vague fascination at the tip of the blade, as dark as a moonless night, and the pectoral it rested against. His pectoral. Slowly he raised his eyes to meet her cold pair. 

"Do you yield?" 

Predictably, (to those who knew him) his face took a look of adoration. "You have proven your worth. Heavens themselves must smile upon thee indeed, given thy divine skill and magnificence. Truly such perfection can be cherished only by one such as glorious and noble as--Irk." 

Keiei spared a moment to admire her handiwork; a slit, less than an inch deep, on this idiot's chest, courtesy of her katana. Confirming that she had not caused permanent damage, she repeated "Do you yield?" 

Kuno nodded, the lone hamster operating his mind seeking a refugee status in another country and thinking about retirement. 

She toyed with the idea of scaring him some more, but decided against it, not wanting to attract attention. Deliberately slowly, she withdrew her blade, taking a moment to wipe off the blood on Kuno's hakama. She did not look back as she left behind a frozen swordsman. 

For once, Kuno Tatewaki met a woman that even his somewhat formidable mind could not handle. 

  
  
Several minutes later, Keiei gave a disgusted sigh and put away the map again. "Argh! Just where **IS** that dojo?" She growled in obvious frustration, irritated at having to stand on a waiting line while her lifework's fulfillment was just around, literally, a few blocks. 

"A dojo?" A man's voice answered. "Do you mean the Tendo Dojo?" 

Turning around, she saw a bespectacled man appear from the building she had just passed. He appeared to be about a decade older than her, and had a wise look on his face. She also didn't miss that he was moving in a way best suited to conceal his existence. Trying not to sound too eager, she replied, "Yes, it is. Can you direct me to it?" 

"Go straight on this road, turn right at the fourth intersection, then just keep going. You can't miss it." He frowned, eyes narrowing in suspicion. "What business do you have there?" 

"I'm a dojo-yaburi." She presented the customary lie with a straight face. It wasn't her habit, but she didn't want to cause any complications by revealing her true purpose. "I have heard of the fame and strength of the Musabetsu Kakutou Ryu, and wish to challenge it." 

The man relaxed slightly at hearing this. "Well then, I'm afraid you came at the worst possible moment." 

"Why is that?" 

The man hesitated visibly, choosing his words carefully. "Well, you see...the grandmaster of the school...his wife--" 

Ono Tofu had a glimpse of shock, horror, and frustration racing across the young woman's features before she turned and rapidly ran, presumably toward her destination. Staring at her rapidly receding back he mumbled, "Now what was that about...?" 

~*~ 

Ukyo sat down heavily. Those who knew her were bothered to see her without the usual air of cheer on her. She resembled an okonomiyaki missing a vital ingredient, such as flour. 

"No luck?" Ryoga asked, hoping against hope that he was wrong and Ukyo, whom he knew to be much more understanding of Ranma than he, had succeeded. Sadly, of all the times, he was right on this occasion. 

"No luck." Ukyo looked ready to break down. Considering that her lifelong friend/fiancé was near death in mind with body gradually catching up, he was surprised she hadn't done so already, as he had just done. "I tried everything I could think of. I even tried meowing like a cat." Her fists clenched tightly. "I feel so powerless! I can't do anything to help him!" 

Nabiki sighed, looking no less tired than any other occupant in the room. "Don't blame yourself, Ukyo. I don't think he would do so much as bat an eyebrow if I placed a keg of Nanniichuan water in front of him." 

It was not a joke, and everyone knew it. 

"If only I can do something..." 

"Yes, yes, if only Akane didn't die. If only those damnable Amazons didn't exist. If only I kept my son at my hands! **IF ONLY ANY OF THIS DIDN'T HAPPEN AT ALL!!**" Everyone stared at Nodoka, startled by her hysterical outburst. For a moment the Saotome matriarch seemed ready to shriek some more, then regained her center and took a deep breath. "I am sorry... That was undignified of me. Just... Please don't mention 'if only' around me. I'm not sure I can restrain myself." 

The mood dropped to new depth, nobody daring to speak out the thoughts haunting them; unfortunately, said thoughts weren't about to give them a break. Was this how the rest of their lives were going to be? Slowly losing sanity, then life? Would there ever be an end to the reign of woe upon them? 

  
  
A loud **_TWACK_** rang across the household, interrupting cicadas' rock concert and knocking everyone out of their misery. Ryoga stood and examined the object embedded on the outer wall, frowning when he saw what it was. 

"Ryoga? What is it?" Ukyo asked. 

Ryoga pulled, yanking it out from the wood. "It's an arrow. With a paper attached to it." 

Nabiki groaned. As if the last one didn't do enough damage, fate saw them fit to send another letter. She mentally gave it 1 to 500 odds of being anything good. "Who is it from and what does it say?" 

"Only one way to find out." Ryoga removed the piece of paper tied to the arrow, rolling it open. Within seconds of reading the message to himself, he crumpled it and threw it away, a decidedly annoyed look on his face. 

"Ryoga-kun? What is it?" Nodoka's query was ignored by the fanged young man as he approached her currently inhuman spouse. Genma blinked as an irate Ryoga picked him up like a sack of potatoes with a single hand. 

"Okay, you pile of useless fur, what did you do this time?" Ryoga all but snarled. His fabled depression, having been accumulated due to the obvious, was begging for an outlet, and he was severely tempted to use the beast in his hand as a punching bag. 

Ukyo, never the one to leap into Genma's defense, ignored the Panda as it protested its innocence via wooden signs; instead she retrieved the paper and carefully straightened it before reading it aloud: 

To Saotome Ranma's current wife,   
Appear at the vacant lot along Sakura-fubuki Douri at 5:00 p.m. with your husband. Be prepared to carve your old family name in your gravestone.  
Ranma's true fiancée, Fuitamu Keiei 

Ukyo let out a groan. It was echoed by other women in the room, while Ryoga kept Genma's body a foot above the floor. 

The phone rang out suddenly, saving the eldest Saotome from icy stares for exactly two seconds. Kasumi went to the hallway to get it, and their attention was returned to Genma. 

"Who is this Keiei?" Nabiki asked in a flat, cold tone that had not been used for a while. It was what she used back in the days of constant blackmailing and extortion. 

[[I don't have any idea! Honest!]] Genma's sign read. Upon seeing this, Nodoka stood up and quietly left the room, unnoticed by anyone. 

Ukyo withdrew her monstrous spatula with a deliberate slowness. "You have got a lot of nerve, saying something like that with **ME** around." 

The obvious implication at their past relationship was not lost on Ryoga. "You have sold Ranma almost as many times as I get lost." 

[[Exactly!]] Another sign was produced, then flipped over. [[I can't remember every person I engaged Ranma to!]] 

"In that case, I can improve your memory." Nodoka stepped back in, cradling an all-too-familiar long bundle of silk. Beneath the covers her family heirloom slept, thirsty for blood and hungry for flesh even in its slumber. 

None knew these better than Saotome Genma did. He quickly materialized a big sign and started writing on it, only to be interrupted by Nabiki with a steamy water from a kettle. "Talk." Her voice left no doubts about her intentions if he didn't cough up **ALL** of information she wanted. 

~*~

Even though she had set the place for the duel, Keiei had trouble finding it. What should have been a fifteen minutes walk from the Tendo dojo had instead taken an hour. She could care less, however. One of her dreams, one she had devoted her last six years on, was close to fruition. What was an hour next to that? 

Like all who had been traumatized in their life, the memories of her happy childhood when tomorrow was filled with promise were hazy and almost unrecognizable. They were all shattered into pieces by the event that tore up her life as well. 

She was thirteen, never defeated by anyone in her age group. She was in the finals of a Kendo tournament. She had been assured of her victory. So had her parents and friends, and the public opinion was generally leaning on the case of her domination of the competition. Some of her opponents even conceded the match entirely, not willing to experience what they saw as a brutal beating. 

So, upon seeing that her last opponent was a mousy redhead that didn't look at all confident, she decided to go easy. What harm could it possibly do? 

The type of harm that would haunt you forever. 

She was caught off guard in first round and lost a point by face. She then held nothing back, and won the second round. But at the third round, her accursed enemy somehow slipped through her fierce offense and launched a counterstroke. 

Keiei remembered the next few seconds very vividly. Her mind had shut down, unable to comprehend the alien concept of defeat. Then that... that... **BITCH** offered her a hand, and said something that she didn't understand. She only knew it as a sentence to her failure, and so ran from Shidou Hikaru. 

It was a year later, after an year of cursing her enemy, hating herself for not being good enough, and enduring the look her relatives threw at her, was when the Saotomes challenged their school and she had regained hope. 

At first she had thought nothing of Ranma. Nothing before he defeated her father with his bare hands. Nothing before seeing him fight like a creature specifically designed for it. Nothing before he attacked, defended, and moved with a grace and perfection she had deemed impossible previously. Nothing before she realized that if she could have him, could be with him, she would once again be the best and never have to worry about losing that status. 

After the fight, she had managed to be alone with her father and begged him to convince the Saotomes to take her with them. He was all too happy to do so, preferring to lose his daughter rather than the dojo sign, the mark of their tradition. 

Thus her joy was beyond description when it was agreed that not only she would be taken along, she would actually be engaged to her idol. Equally great was her sorrow at next morning when they found the Saotomes gone with the dowry taken, and Keiei left behind. She was deemed unworthy, that was the conclusion everyone reached. After all, who would want a failure like her? 

Instead of being crashed again, however, this time her passion and fervor had reawakened with vengeance. She threw herself at training, ignoring education, friendship, and other distractions. She improved herself until she surpassed any of her family members and thus was worthy of her hero. She dreamed of the day when Ranma would look at her with love and adoration, when Hikaru would be lying dead at her feet, when finally she would once again be the best there was. 

Now it would come true. 

Keiei got out a well-worn oilstone out of her pack, and set to her task. Her katana, Murasame, was of a fine quality rarely seen even in the impressive standards of Japanese blades, but it could never be too sharp to drink the blood of soon-to-be-deceased Mrs. Saotome. She would slay her obstacle, and claim the hand of her fiancé. 

~*~ 

Kasumi walked back in, a slight frown on her face. She had been doing it so often these days that she wondered if she could ever smile sincerely again. "That was Tofu. He said that a young woman with a katana asked for directions to get here." 

"That's probably this Fuitamu woman." Ryoga nodded. 

"How did she get engaged to Ranma?" Kasumi asked. 

"It's a little different from the usual case. Genma made Ranma fight her father and tried to get some money in exchange of not taking the dojo sign. Instead she was offered as a bride--with a dowry, of course. The rest is history." Nabiki snorted. A month ago, she would have been watching this with amusement and trying to figure out a way to make some profit. Now the thought didn't even enter her mind. 

"Well, I needed to get some money somehow..." Genma cringed under the looks he received. "And besides, the daughter offered herself! There's nothing wrong with refusing part of a present you don't want!" 

**"A PRESENT!?"** Ukyo screeched. "This is a human being we are talking about, not some object! Did you think about how heartbroken the poor girl would be? About what kind of humiliation she would have to face? And that's not even considering the fact that you engaged Ranchan off yet again!!" 

Genma did the wisest thing he could. He shut his mouth. 

"Ukyo, please calm down." Nodoka said. She was starting to get a headache. "We must deal with one thing at a time. Now, what shall we do with Keiei-san?" 

"Can't we just ignore it? Akane's...well, you know. There's nobody to take up this challenge, so it shouldn't be dishonorable to do so," Nabiki suggested. 

Nodoka shook her head. "I'm afraid that it's not so simple. In this circumstance, the duty of answering this challenge lies in you, Nabiki." 

Nabiki blinked, followed by others. "You have got to be kidding! I haven't trained for more than a decade! How do you expect me to defend myself, much less beat this challenger who very obviously wants to kill me!?" 

Nodoka repeated her earlier gesture. "Saotome honor demands so. I know that it's unreasonable, even cruel, to ask you to do this, but there is nobody else to answer this." 

"Yes there is! I can!" Ukyo cried. 

The others turned to look at her with varying looks. Kasumi with gratefulness, Ryoga and Genma with incomprehension, Nabiki uncertainty, and Nodoka challengingly. 

"I was, and still am, Ranma's fiancée...now the only one left, other than this newcomer." Ukyo paused a moment to lick her lips before continuing with her speech. "It's within my right and duty to answer this challenge to defend my position, even if the challenge was directed at Akane." 

The woman acknowledged as the best okonomiyaki cook in the world met the gaze belonging to an older woman who, under different events, might have become her mother-in-law. She still had every intention of making it so, no matter how long or what it took. 

After several tense seconds, Nodoka finally allowed a smile to appear on her face. "Well said, Ukyo. I shall assign this task upon you, and wait for your victorious return." 

Ukyo grinned back, her face shining vivaciously at last. She, for the moment, was back to the "Ucchan" that everyone were familiar with. "Count on it! I have years of experiences fighting for Ranchan! Just one thing though." 

Nabiki asked suspiciously, "You aren't asking for Ranma's hand in exchange for this, are you?" 

Ukyo snorted. "Give me a break. I'm just asking you all to make sure this jackass won't escape before I come back." She pointed at the cringing Genma. "I have a lot of things I want to 'discuss' with him." 

Before Genma could bolt for it, Ryoga grabbed his collar and picked him off the ground once again. "Get in line, Ukyo. I always wanted to see if the Bakusai Tenketsu worked on bones." 

Everyone, save for the eldest Saotome, shared a good laugh at his pathetic scream. 

~*~ 

Keiei opened her eyes, but did not turn around to face her opponent, nor did she relax from her meditative posture. "You have come." 

Ukyo, having made no attempt to conceal her presence, was not impressed. "Yeah, I did." 

The swordswoman stood slowly and turned around. What she saw puzzled her somewhat; a relatively tall woman with middle-length chestnut hair tied with a simple bow, wearing a blue gi-like clothing with the kanji for 'like' printed all over it. The spatulas, both the small ones on her front and the huge one strapped on her back, did not help with her confusion. "Is this a joke?" Keiei narrowed her eyes. "You do not seem like a warrior of any sort." 

"Don't underestimate me." Ukyo got into a stance, whipping out her weapon. "I'm Kuonji Ukyo, practitioner of Kuonji-ryu Way of Okonomiyaki." 

Keiei stared at her with a mixture of curiosity and frustration. "Kuonji? Not Saotome? What happened to Ranma's wife?" 

"She is unable to answer your challenge." Ukyo shrugged. "I'm her...friend, and I'm filling in for her." 

Keiei snorted derisively in response. "Pathetic. After I'm finished with you, I'm going after the coward by myself." 

Ukyo glared at her. "Don't be insulting my friend." _Especially when she is deceased,_ she added to herself. "Stupid question, but I suppose you can't be talked out of this?" she asked more softly. 

"Certainly. If you get your weakling of a friend to hand my fiancé over, I would prefer to avoid unnecessary bloodshed." 

"Right." Ukyo held out her spatula in a defensive position. "Ready whenever you are!" 

Even though she was looking at her opponent directly, Ukyo still had trouble following the other woman's motion. With a grace that could have been called artistic, Keiei whipped out her katana and thrust in a single motion, impacting against the flat of her spatula half a moment later. Had she been going for the first blow, the match would have been over right then and there. 

Luck was favoring her at the moment, for the staggering caused by the unexpectedly fast blow also moved her out of the range of Keiei's subsequent rising slash...just barely. Again the sharpened metal met the tip of her unusual weapon, but this time she used the impact to leap away backwards. Six feet from the ground, the okonomiyaki chef threw three of her smaller spatulas, sending razor-sharp utensils at Keiei. 

Upon landing, Ukyo wasted no time in rebounding and jumping at Keiei with a sharp battle cry. Her opponent was fast at parrying away the projectiles as well, but not fast enough to launch a successful counter-attack. A giant spatula collided with a black sword, producing a loud metallic scream. 

Ukyo locked her weapon with Keiei's, noting with satisfaction that she was slowly but surely pushing down the other woman. The victor of this unofficial muscle contest did not, however, notice the foot zooming at her stomach until she was propelled up into the air in a manner similar to the tomoe-nage of judo. 

Both of the combatants relied on their instincts at this point. In a desperation maneuver Ukyo cried "Merikenko Bakudan!" and threw an object over her head. Keiei slashed downwards, intending to strike both the projectile and her fallen opponent. She instantly learned why that was not a good idea when dealing with a pack of flour. 

Ukyo rolled to the side before standing up as quickly as she could, automatically holding her weapon in blocking position. Thankfully it was unnecessary because by then Keiei had finished coughing away the powders in her lung. Hair and face pasted white, she glared at Ukyo with a passive kind of anger. "You **ARE** a joke! You are a clown, not a fighter." Her glare turned into a cruel smile. "But I can be quite a comedian too. Let me show you some of my tricks." 

"Do your worst!" Ukyo yelled back, making no attempt to hide the fact the she was offended. Any pity she earlier felt for the enemy who had a similar experience was long gone, replaced by a growing dislike for someone who resembled two of her least favorite women in the world: Shampoo and Kodachi. 

"Tenka-gohatto Ken!" Keiei charged like a gale, her body blurring in sheer speed. Ukyo fought off a wave of panic and stood her ground. Just one step before her reach, Keiei swung down her sword vertically, its tip failing to graze the tip of Ukyo's spatula. 

Ukyo took a step forward. 

Keiei moved her katana as if she was about to sheath it. 

Ukyo raised her spatula over the right shoulder and prepared to swing. 

Keiei thrust backwards, the blade missing the scabbard by mere centimeters. 

Ukyo put all her weight into the horizontal attack. 

Keiei caught the dull side of her weapon with her left hand, and pushed it forward like a reversed staff. 

There was a sickening sound. 

The giant spatula, painstakingly close to its target, fell from Ukyo's hands as her knees buckled. She stared, dumbfounded, at the short knife extending from the tail end of Murasame's handle that sank in her ribs. Looking up to Keiei's smug smile, she hoarsely whispered, "You bitch..." 

Keiei smiled and removed the hidden dagger from her body. Ukyo crumpled to the ground, staring in fascination at the grass pricking at her forehead. She heard Keiei say, "Why do you think I gave it a name like that? And you were fighting for the **Musabetsu** Kakutou Ryu. If you aren't prepared to become the best one way or another, you shouldn't even try." 

Then the grass in front of her faded, along with her vision. 

~*~ 

Nabiki measured out the powders in teaspoons carefully. She could not cook anything more advanced than frozen foods, but mixing a baby formula was something any human being could do...barring her late sister. She now wished she could take back the insult poorly disguised as a joke said just before Akama's birth; it was along the line of how Akane would have to get Ranma to fix her baby's nutrient once her milk ran out. 

When one looks back at his or her life, one would inevitably find something he or she would wish to undo. Few had as many of those regrettable memories as Tendo Nabiki did. Her reputed lust for money began with her mother's death, when they could not afford the treatment to prolong her life. That was when the seven year-old girl decided that money was the key in life and became determined to collect it as much as possible. Through various means she fought her way into economics, more often than not disregarding other things for her purpose. 

It was only of recent she learned that money could buy only so much things. It could not buy time, friends, family, love, or life. 

Right now, as she entered Akama's room, she was berating herself for the mistake not even two weeks ago... for the thousandth time. "If only I pressed Akane harder." Nabiki thought while fighting back the tears. "If only I got rid of those Chinese psychos earlier. So many 'if-only's. Was I wrong? Am I powerless after all? I was trying to help my family, and look at where I got. How pathetic." 

Nabiki shook herself back into the reality, noticing that Akama was rejecting the bottle. "Come on baby, aren't you hungry?" The youngest Saotome continued to avoid the feeding, crying harder. "Drink up, Akama. Please." 

It was no use. No matter how much Nabiki pled with the infant, he continued to cry steadily harder. With every decibel raised, Nabiki's self-worth dropped. Not knowing what to do, she discarded the bottle and picked him up, trying to soothe him into sleep. 

Walking out in the garden produced the desired effect; Akama was becoming calmer and showing signs of fatigue. She sighed at the picture she imagined two of them must have made. When a young woman is holding an infant in her arms, a casual bystander can make only one possible assumption. 

"So you are that woman." 

Slowly and holding down her surprise, Nabiki turned to see a woman in a sweater and jeans. The katana hanging on her side gave away her identity like a name-tag to Nabiki's razor-sharp mind. "Fuitamu Keiei, I presume?" 

The younger of the two brushed her hair back casually. "You are correct." 

Noting the faint trace of flour in her hair, Nabiki forced her words out, willing her voice not to shake, "What have you done with Ukyo...?" 

Keiei gave an amused sneer. "She wasn't my target, so I let her live. She should be crawling back here to report her failure in a few hours." She lazily drew out her weapon, and spoke in a tone full of venom of hate, "You, on the other hand, aren't so lucky, soon-to-be-ex-Mrs. Saotome." 

An idea to tell off the intruder by correcting her misunderstanding was formed and rejected in Nabiki's head within the same second. If the bloodthirsty woman didn't believe her, which was the most likely scenario, it would only serve to set her off. If by some miracle Nabiki convinced her, she would simply start going after somebody else in the dojo. 

"What do you hope to accomplish by killing me?" Nabiki wasn't trying to reason with this madwoman; she was trying to stall for time. "Ranma would only hate you." 

Keiei fired a laugh that was quieter than Kodachi's, but somehow even scarier. "My love is the best among the best. Such a man needs a worthy woman, and I can prove my worth by killing you." 

"Like hell!" Nabiki shouted, desperately hiding her fear. She was horribly aware that it was not successful. "You would never be worthy so much as to lick the ground he walked on!" 

Keiei smiled in a way that, under different circumstances, could have been called cute. The naked blade in her hand dispelled that illusion instantly and thoroughly. "Interesting words, coming from the mouth of a coward. But I did not come here for a talk." 

A foot lashed out with a blinding speed, catching Nabiki on the chin. She fell back several feet away, Akama still clutched to her chest protectively, tasting the blood in her mouth. Painfully she rose her head, seeing Keiei advancing on her intentionally slowly. 

Fear exposed completely on her face, Nabiki kicked her brain into emergency mode, trying to see a way out of this situation with her head and body connected. If her mind was a computer, a big ERROR notice would have popped up on the screen. There was no solution. This woman beat Ukyo without a scratch, implying an unusually high level of skill. Only Ryoga stood a chance against her, and how long it would take his sense of direction to come to her rescue was a question she didn't have an answer to, only that it wouldn't be quick enough. 

Just as Nabiki would have screamed out in terror--genuine terror--for the first time in years, Akama beat her to it. The future heir of Anything Goes School cried his soul out in a single, long shriek that had been heard throughout the neighborhood. It was a sound that could, and did, pierce into one's heart. 

~*~

It is said that at a moment just before death, one sees his or her memories like a cinema roll. 

Ranma's was looping around the period between Akama's birth and Akane's death. Over and over again she was forced to witness the most important woman in her life march to her demise. The worst part was that she was reliving through them, knowing what was going to occur, yet unable to do anything. Those fateful scenes repeated endlessly, at a ludicrous speed, non-stop and out of control. Like a melted down nuclear reactor, it was contaminating her mind with its poison. 

The first reaction was a denial; a refusal to accept the tragedy that threatened to shred her heart apart. 

Secondly came the realization; a forced acceptance of the undeniable reality, the sadistic touch of a nightmare. 

Following next was a shock; a numbness of heart that steadily incapacitated every emotion known to mankind. 

But the fourth stage of oblivion, a black hole swallowing her into a loving hold of nonexistence, the step scheduled to be concluded by a slow death, was interrupted. 

Called out from her dark haven, Saotome Ranma's eyes saw, for the first time in days, the world of living. The eternally cursed martial artist saw an injured Nabiki holding Akama. She also saw a woman armed with a katana advancing on them. 

To be or not to be? Ranma, albeit with reluctance, chose the right answer. 

~*~ 

Keiei's heart, although as black as her sword, still contained some conscience within it. She hesitated a moment on a decision: should she slay the child along with his mother? Though a baby of her enemy, he was still undoubtedly innocent, and Ranma's child as well. Perhaps...just perhaps...it might cause him to hate her... 

Next thing she knew was being knocked aside. To her dismay, her weapon was wrenched out of her hands as well. She got back up just in time to see a red-haired woman--where had she seen her before?--throw it out of the residence, effectively disarming her. 

Quivering with rage, Keiei took a good long sight of her new opponent. A messy, petite woman with a strangely familiar scarlet hair done in a pigtail, wearing a fairly androgynous clothing of Chinese looks. She was in a stance Keiei hadn't seen in years: the Saotome Ryu Musabetsu Kakutou! Getting into her own Bushin stance, Keiei asked in a tightly controlled voice, "And who are **YOU**, to interrupt my mission of a lifetime?" 

"Tendo Ranko." The redhead's voice was strangely flat, almost mechanic. "I don't know who you are, or what you are trying to do, but if it involves trying to hurt my...cousin, you will have to get past me." 

Keiei snarled, "As you wish, harridan!" and leaped in with a very fast roundhouse kick. To her shock, "Ranko" moved even faster and sidestepped her attack, giving her back a rough shove and sending her tumbling on to the ground. 

Keiei rolled out the momentum and stood up quickly, only to find her opponent standing still and allowing an obvious advantage to pass. "What is the matter with you!? Too scared to attack me?" 

"Listen, whoever you are," Ranma replied tiredly, "I'm **REALLY** not in the mood for a fight. Go back before my patience runs out." 

"The only thing that will run out will be your blood!" 

Keiei rushed in with her fastest combo, going all-out. Ranma was forced to block and dodge to the best of her abilities. She was losing ground, but she still did not attack more than necessary. This served to anger the swordswoman even more. 

As the fight dragged on, both of combatants' abilities became apparent in comparison. They were nearly as fast as each other, but Ranma definitely had the edge in skill and agility. Getting desperate, Keiei pulled out her last trick. 

"Take this! Taifuu Shuu!" Keiei whirled and twisted her body to an impressive degree before spinning herself in opposite direction and swinging her leg out, sending a waist-high hurricane at Ranma. She also reached inside her sleeve, throwing a concealed tanto. 

Ranma dodged the first projectile with relative ease, only to see the second racing past her, heading straight to a wall. 

More precisely, to a wall where Nabiki and Akama were leaning on. 

Ranma cried out their names. 

Keiei shouted in triumph. 

Nabiki screamed and shut her eyes. 

The knife struck. 

Ranma cried out louder. 

Nabiki opened her eyes, seeing the tanto sticking into the surface only an inch away from her neck. She continued to stare at the reflection in the blade, unable to believe that she was still alive. 

Keiei cursed the powder from earlier that ruined her aim before seeing "Ranko" rushing at her. She tried to counter by a spinning backhand, not noticing the energy around her rapidly collecting in a swirling pattern. She did notice when Ranma ducked into her range and launched an uppercut. 

She, however, did not realize that this was Ryu-ou Ken, a variation of Hiryu Shoutenha, an uppercut reinforced by the force of a tornado. She also did not realize that she was being thrown out of the Tendo-Saotome Dojo, for she was already unconscious. 

  
  
Nabiki finally succeeded in ripping her eyes away from the fascinating reflection and moving them to her presently female brother-in-law's back. She handed Akama to Ryoga, who, along with rest of the family, had long since been attracted by the racket, and approached the silent redhead. 

Licking her dry lips, she softly called, "Ranma?" 

There was no response. Ranma did not even move from the position where she landed from the attack. 

"Ranma? Talk to me...please." 

A twitch in the shoulder was the reaction. 

"Ranma?" 

A sound escaped from her. Nabiki realized that it was a sob. Ranma turned around, no longer the near-invincible combat machine she was but a moment ago. In its place a teary young woman stood shaking. 

"It... It hurts." 

Ryoga blinked. "I didn't see you get hit...." 

Nabiki glared at the eternally lost man briefly before enveloping the younger woman in a hug. "I'm hurting too, Ranma. Everyone is." 

Ranma leaned into her sister-in-law's arms, unable to hold the emotions within her. The dam that held back her feelings was broken, and an apocalyptic flood was taking place. "I, I just want to crawl in.... Forget about everything...." 

Kasumi approached them from behind and put her arms around the crying girl as well, gently rubbing her back. "Do you want to forget about Akane, too?" 

Almost violently, Ranma turned her head around, shouting, **"NO!!"** Then in softer tones, she continued, "But I... I don't wanna forget about her. I'm afraid that I'm gonna forget her eventually if I live... I'm scared of that." 

"You won't forget her, Ranma," Nabiki said. "You can keep on loving her, forever, without killing yourself like this. You can get over her death; we all need to..." 

Ranma cried harder. "I don't wanna get over her! She was the only one for me! I'm, I'm never going to find anyone else. I can never get over her..." 

"Then you must live, my son," Nodoka intoned. "For the sake of your deceased wife and your own son. You must live for them, if for nothing else." 

Ranma stared at her mother, who calmly looked back with wisdom in her eyes. She then slowly disengaged herself from her position, and walked up to Ryoga. She took the baby without a word, going inside of the house before Ryoga could speak. 

The ominous silence was broken by Genma, of all people. "Well, at least he's back with us..." 

Ryoga grimaced. "It's still not good enough. I looked at his eyes... They are still dead, or close. He will never be the same guy I knew." Again, Ryoga Hibiki was absolutely right. Certainly enough was happening for such a miracle to happen twice in row. 

"For the better or worse, he will change." Nodoka sighed. "I can only hope for the former." 

"Ranma...." Nabiki stared at the darkening sky, watching the stars appearing slowly. "Why can't the poor guy have a break for a change? If there's any god listening, give him someone else to love before it's too late...." 

"Hey, a shooting star." Ryoga pointed up. "Maybe your wish will come true." 

"I certainly hope so." Nabiki sighed tiredly, feeling thrice her age. "But I won't bet on it. Let's go get Ukyo." 

~*~ 

Keiei rubbed the bandage around her chin, not noticing the pain being caused by the action. It was puny and unnoticeable when compared to the maddening storm in her heart. 

She had lost. Again. 

Damn that Tendo woman! Everything was going so well when she **HAD** to butt in. Just as luck seemed to favor her, it turned around and spat on her. 

Simply remembering her second failure sickened her at heart. It dug out her long-suppressed inferiority complex from its grave, and she was afraid that every moment without confidence and determination was eating away at her sanity. 

Yet she was a warrior, not a helpless crybaby. She knew that everything she fought for-the very core of her being-would be forever out of reach the moment she stopped trying. Her will was her life. 

"Tendo Ranko... Enjoy this victory while it lasts. And I will see to it that it will be short-lived indeed." Thus vowing, she set out on a new quest for power. Somewhere over that horizon was her future, where she and her husband could protect their home, family and happiness; she was certain of it. 

_**Glossary**_: 

**Shuradou:** "Way of the Damned."   
**Shippu-kurogen:** "Gale Black Sword." A thrust attack as fast as a shadow. (Mr. Barba's invention.)   
**Merikenko Bakudan:** "Flour Bomb." Just what it says; believe it or not, it was used at least twice in the original _**Ranma 1/2**_.   
**Tenka-gohatto Ken:** literal translation: "Under the Sun Illegal Sword." Better phrased as "Universally Forbidden Sword." Stabbing with concealed knife on the handle.   
**Taifuu Shuu:** "Tornado Kick." Simply a projectile attack with miniature tornado created from a spin kick. Knife-throw follow-up isn't a necessity.   
**Ryu-ou Ken:** "Dragon King Punch." Hiryu Shoutenha-boosted uppercut. 

  
**_Author's Notes:_**

Here I had another chance to contribute to (spoil?) my favorite epic fanfic, _**A Duet of Pigtails**_. But this time, I worked with Rob Barba, the person who has supported Ms. Thomas's series more than anybody else has. What a big mistake. This part was what I expanded upon what Mr. Barba started on (did you notice the sudden drop in quality in the middle of the story? ^_^;), and he worked on the following part, named _**Fugutaiten**_. As you can see, my part is embarrassingly short in comparison to Mr. Barba's part. I cannot help but feel that I made this side-story-series inferior to what it could have been. That is not to say I did not make efforts to write this well (I revised it after completion, which I hate to do), but my skill is simply not up to his. 

Well, enough with self-criticism. Ms. Thomas has asked for an introductory tale for a new character/villainess, and so between our discussions Fuitamu Keiei (actually she had several other suggested names) ended up, in my opinion, as a combination of worst elements of Ranma, Shampoo, Ukyo, and Kodachi. Normally I hate making up an original character for a large role, but I think she ended up interesting enough. 

I would like to thank Libby Thomas for creating _**A Duet of Pigtails**_ and allowing me to be involved with it, Rob Barba for working with my inconsistent writing habit, and **YOU** for reading this. I hope you at least enjoyed it; right now, my ego is badly wounded. =_=; 

Oh well, back to working on other fics... 

Tell me what you think: VGAP [mailto:vg_ap@hotmail.com][1]  
VGAP's weird page at: [http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/thunder/181/index.html][2]

   [1]: mailto:vg_ap@hotmail.com
   [2]: http://www.fortunecity.com/marina/thunder/181/index.html



	2. Default Chapter Title

**_A Duet of Pigtails: The Age of the Black Blade   
Part Two: Fugutaiten_**

By Rob Barba and VGAP  
Based on the series by Libby Thomas  
And characters and situations created by Rumiko Takahashi and CLAMP  
Additional Credits: "Blackbird" by Lennon & McCartney 

~*~

**_FIRST ROUND: Unwanted Return_**

_

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise."

_

The song played in the stillness of the observation room of the Tokyo Tower, echoing throughout the whole space. On a dark, rainy night like this, somehow the old Beatles song seemed appropriate. Hundreds of meters below, the streets of Akanebashi-cho were lit like a string of glittering jewels, their lights giving of a bit of comfortable radiance in the dreary, rainy evening. 

_

"Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these sunken eyes and learn to see  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to be free." 

_

It was a quiet Tuesday night, one where not many really bothered to brave the rain. However, two women, damp and cold from the water, stood in the desolate emptiness of the room, accompanied only by a half-asleep person at the snack bar and a stray pigeon that had managed to get into the place. The vending kiosks on the first floor had shut down early for the night, writing off the lack of visitors as a loss; there was no one on the second observation tower, as it was undergoing repairs. 

_"Blackbird fly Blackbird fly  
Into the light of the dark black night." _

One of the women, a classic beauty with long wheat-blonde hair and alluring hazel eyes, sat at one of the benches in the room, not really wishing to stand. She was wearing a simple pair of slacks and a jersey, all covered by a slightly damp raincoat. At her side was her purse, glistening from the wet sheen the rain had provided. However, Hououji Kuu didn't take any of these little facts of life into account. Her attention was elsewhere, cast on the other woman, who she'd accompanied. 

_"Blackbird fly Blackbird fly  
Into the light of the dark black night."_

The second woman appeared to be a teenager, though her actual age was 20. Unlike the other woman, who had the appearance of elegance, this woman was cute and cuddly, though that was more in her nature than any outright attempt to be so. However, the smile that seemed so much the essence of the young woman with fiery red hair and warm sienna eyes was gone, replaced by a mournful cast that echoed the darkness and rain, becoming one with it. By no means, in any situation could it be construed that Shidou Hikaru was happy. 

_"Blackbird singing in the dead of night  
Take these broken wings and learn to fly  
All your life  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise  
You were only waiting for this moment to arise." _

The song ended, to be replaced by some local singer that was easily forgotten. As though dismissing the music, Kuu spoke softly to Hikaru, her voice carrying over the emptiness of the room: "Hikaru, you've come here for the past three years, as though you've wanted to go back. You're torturing yourself." 

Hikaru nodded, then replied, her voice a shadow of the joy it normally was, "I know. I don't even need to come here to go back anymore, but this place is still special to me. It reminds me of Fuu, and...and...." As if in emphasis, Hikaru turned and stared down at a certain spot in the tiles that were on the floor. Though those four black and white checkered tiles seemed a little warped and woofed, no one had bothered to replace them, not even during last year's renovation. It was as though they belonged there, as though there was something special about them. 

The fact that those four tiles were spell-warded might have something to do with it. "And Umi," she finished, a harsh note in her voice. 

Hououji Kuu looked at the girl, two years her junior, who was like a little sister to her. The best friend of her younger sister, Hikaru and Kuu had grown very close over the past couple years, almost as close as Hikaru was Fuu and Umi...or at least Umi before her betrayal. Three years later, Kuu could hardly believe the reason for the terminal rift that had grown between the two. Circumstances notwithstanding, it just seemed out of character for the azure-haired girl. "Hikaru-chan, I know it's hard to talk about Umi, but--" 

Hikaru uncharacteristically cut off Kuu. "Don't bring her up. I never want to hear that name again." Sighing in sorrow, she amended, "Gomen ne, Kuu-chan. That was incredibly rude of me. I didn't mean to be so harsh." 

"I know, Hikaru. I know. But that was years ago. Don't you think it's time to move on by now?" 

The redhead almost nodded, but instead sighed. "Kuu, she took the man I loved from me. And she wasn't really sorry about it, either!" As she stood there, her heart of hearts shattering into a million shards, the tinkle of each broken piece was a memory from that day right here, three years gone: 

_--"We...we slept together that night, Hikaru. I know I shouldn't have done it. I wanted Ascot, and I was drunk that night, out of despair that he would never really notice me. Lantis was the only one who was willing to help me back to my room. I didn't know he was drunk, too. I didn't know that he was trying to find a way to express his love for you." Umi took a drag from her cigarette and sighed. "I don't know how it just happened. One moment he was carrying me in, the next we were on my bed and remov...." Umi trailed off, realizing that details would not be a good idea--_

The words continued in Hikaru's mind, unbidden and unwanted, but she couldn't shut them out. She hadn't been able to for the past few years. 

_--"There's more I have to tell you, and it's not easy for me to say this." The azurehair paused for a second, gathering not only her thoughts, but also the courage to say something that she really feared to admit. "I...I'm...I'm pregnant. I'm carrying his child, Hikaru. I'm sorry. I didn't mean for it to happen. I never meant...we never meant to hurt you, never ever." The Water Knight looked as though she'd rather face off Zagato and Impala single-handedly and armed only with a toothpick than to sit here and break the heart of her Knight Commander, the goddess of Cephiro, but more importantly, her best friend. "Hikaru, I love you like a sister, and if I could take this back I would, I really would...."--_

She could almost see Umi's face once more, hurting and dejected, though there was something in the girl's aqua eyes that seemed to tell a far different story: 

_--"Hikaru, I don't want this. I'm only 18, and by no means ready for motherhood. Especially with a man I don't love, someone who was meant for you. I'm going to go back to Cephiro to ask if he'll accept me getting an abortion. He's been to Autozam dozens of times, so he should have some idea what one is. And if that isn't the case," Umi paused again, as though she were getting ready to lower the boom, "then I'll be staying in Cephiro to marry him. If I end up having this baby, I at least want an honorable life for it, Hika--" Nothing more was said as a tearing, shivering Hikaru made a fist and came nigh close to slapping Umi. Instead, she turned and ran, hearing Umi's frantic pleas for Hikaru to stop, to come back and forgive her. The last thing Hikaru would feel was the tingling of magic as Umi opened the gateway to Cephiro--_

Tears welled in the redhead's eyes, and unintentionally, she hugged the pay telescope for comfort. "She had her choice of men, two of them who would have done anything for her. Ascot wanted her. Clef wanted her. And instead of returning the love of either of them, she chose to steal my boyfriend from me." 

Kuu got up from her seat to go over and comfort the young woman. Sliding her arms around Hikaru, she said, "It's okay, Hikaru, it's okay." 

Sobbing, Hikaru said, "No, it's not! It's not fair!" Looking up at Kuu, she cried, "Umi had everything! She had two guys to choose from, and that wasn't enough for her, not by a damn long shot! She had to take...she had to take...Oh, Lantis...." And then, as happened on this anniversary, Hikaru broke down in tears, crying for the love that she'd lost; the only man she'd ever really loved. 

  
As Kuu held her, she idly remembered something that her younger sister Fuu (now the Queen of Cephiro as well as the Wind Knight) had told her about a romantic triangle between Hikaru, Lantis, and a Prince from another world named Eagle. Fuu had never been totally clear on what happened to Eagle, as there were conflicting reports of it at the time (some said he'd died from an incurable disease; some said that Hikaru had killed him after he'd gone power-mad when offered the mantle of the Pillar). What she did know was that the world of Autozam was apparently now a sterile mudball, with the remainder of its people living in scattered colonies on Cephiro; as for Eagle himself, Hikaru never said anything about him, as though she put him out of her mind. But now was not the time to bring that up. Right now, Hikaru needed help, and Kuu would never turn her friend away. 

Once Hikaru had recovered, she turned back to staring at the rain outside the window, whispering a heartfelt, "Thank you, Kuu-chan. I don't know what I would do without you." 

Kuu smiled. "I know it hurts, Hikaru, but I promise that someday everything will be fine. Just you watch." Looking to change the subject and cheer up the redhead, she said, "Ano, it's still pretty early. Let's go to dinner and do something. I know this nice restaurant on Ariake Island, and after that we can go to Joypolis, ne?" 

That did the trick--as Kuu knew, anything regarding roller coasters tended to do the trick. Her eyes brightening, the smaller girl uttered a happy "Un!" as she shook her head vigorously. "Let's get going then! I want to catch the Shimbashi monorail as soon as possible. I just love riding it!" Nothing further to be said, the pair left the empty and dreary observation room, headed back for the streets and a brighter evening. 

~*~

_"Ariake Island Station. Ariake Island Station,"_ the canned female recording on the Tokyo Teleport train said as the cars pulled up to the line. Dozens of people filed out into the moon- and lamplit night, gazing at the beauty of the light dancing off the dark waters of Tokyo Bay and the festive glow of the Tokyo Friendship Bridge. The grounds still shimmered from the wetness of the recent rain, as the moon began to move out beyond the confines of the clouds. It was a moment of pure beauty, one that caught and held fast the attention of the people debarking. 

One passenger, however, really didn't care much about that. She had a much darker purpose for being here. 

Standing on the pavement over by the exit to the train station that that she'd just left, Fuitamu Keiei took a breath of the fresh air that welcomed her into the Tokyo night. It was her first night back in town since her disastrous failure in Nerima four months ago, and she'd spent the time since training in various locations on the southern island of Kyushu. Now she was back, and with her return, it wouldn't be that much longer until that redhead bitch Tendo Ranko fell to Keiei's superior skills, paving the way for the arrival of Saotome Ranma to her loving care. Of course, that would mean the death of Ranma's current wife--what was her name? Ah, Nabiki; that was it--but at least it would leave Keiei with a loving husband and a child for them to raise...and later down the line, giving that child a brother or sister. But as the old Western saying went, to make an omelet, one must inevitably break a few eggs. 

And once that detail was accomplished, Keiei could start on the next phase of her struggle, the one that would redeem her above everything: the death of Shidou Hikaru. Though the loss to the redheaded bitch had been about seven years ago, Keiei still felt the mark of shame keenly. Had she not lost, she would have still remained the proud scion of her family's arts, and would have been worthy to marry Ranma years back. Oh, yes, when she was done with her initial mission, Shidou Hikaru would feel the black, fatal sting of revenge that came from the edge of Keiei's ebon blade. 

As she walked towards the pedestrian overpass that led to her hotel, she took a second to take stock of her life. Not that there was much to take stock of. She was a failure, a black mark on her family's name. Even her parents no longer wanted her at home, as they gave her a healthy allowance on the basis that she continue her training wherever it would take her...in short, a bribe to never darken the family doorstep again. The only thing that she could claim to be a shred of honor left to her was her black-hued blade, Murasame, named after the legendary blades of yore, though this weapon was far more advanced than anything the old weaponsmith had ever created. It was all, really, that she had left in this world, and it would be a key element to getting what she deserved. 

Silent as the shadows that dotted the evening landscape of the man-made island, Keiei continued to move along towards her hotel, located at the far end of DECKS shopping mall. 

~*~

Hikaru and Kuu sat at a patio table at Celestial, a nice little café overlooking the sandy shore of Ariake Island. Having a nice dinner at the European-styled eatery, they watched as lovers strolled up and down the boardwalk adjoining the DECKS shopping center/amusement park/hotel complex. Over by the shore, a couple of girls, not much younger than Hikaru, were practicing their drum majorette skills, twirling batons and giggling as they did so. A few feet away from them, a couple of guys, watched, rapt in their bouncing brea...thless activity. 

"Men," Kuu snorted sardonically as she grimaced with distaste at the sad display of male chauvinism. "No, I take that back; they're nothing but boys, as a true man would be content with the woman he loved." The blonde sighed and commented rhetorically, "Wonder if I'll ever meet someone?" 

"Well you're a beautiful woman, Kuu-chan," Hikaru pointed out. "I'm surprised that you haven't met anyone already." Thinking about it for a second, she hinted, "Well, I do know someone that I could fix you up with...." 

Kuu grinned. "Hikaru-chan, aren't your brothers already dating?" 

"Satoru isn't at the moment. Kakeru's in the Japanese Air Military Academy right now, so there's not much dating he can do. And I think Masaru's serious about seeing Chidara; I wouldn't be surprised if he proposed to her any day now." Hikaru took a bite of her chicken cordon bleu before continuing, "But I think Satoru would be a good match for you, Kuu-chan. He's nice, sweet, and very caring; you two would make a great couple. And he's only a couple of years older than you, so it's not like I'd be fixing you up with someone as stale as a Christmas Cake at New Year's." 

Kuu laughed. "I'm not that hard up for a date, Hikaru-chan. Granted, I really like Satoru, and he is sweet, not to mention attractive, but I think his mind is on trying to reconcile not having to be a pseudo-parent anymore. Maybe later on, but not now. Besides," she countered merrily, "we still have to find **you** someone, Hikaru." To hide her amusement at Hikaru's look of embarrassment, she took a sip from her coffee. 

Hikaru stopped in mid-bite, trying to reconcile with the comment that came right out of left field. "Wha-what do you mean?" 

"I'll bet that love is waiting for you right around the corner, and that someday you'll find him. In fact, you'll probably find him before I find anyone for myself." 

"Oh really?" Hikaru said, finding the topic a bit bittersweet and ironic in light of what had passed in the Tower an hour or so ago. "You really think so?" 

"Knowing you, he'll probably be some athletic but sensitive hunk, like a swordsman or something." 

"Nope, no more swordsmen for me," she said, a bit flustered. "I don't think...that I could ever date anyone who was that type." 

"Okay, what about a martial artist?" Kuu diverted, mentally chastising herself for the slip of the tongue. "Definitely the athletic type, for sure." 

Hikaru wrinkled her nose in mock-distaste. "Me? Marry a martial artist? Not in a million years, Kuu." 

"Betcha 1000 yen you will." She stuck her hand out. "I'm so confident of it, in fact, that I bet you'll be wearing a wedding kimono before you're 25." 

Hikaru took that hand and shook it vigorously. "It's a bet. And one I know you're going to lose." 

"And how are you so sure that I'm going to lose?" Kuu said, teasing her friend. 

Hikaru was planning to answer that, and would have, had the table not picked that precise moment to explode into a blossom of wood chips, dust and the remnants of dinner, as a voice screamed, **"Time to pay for your interference, Tendo!"**

~*~

Passing down the boardwalk on the way to her hotel, located just past the Sega Joypolis, Keiei felt sort of antsy, as though a sixth sense in her had been awakened to her immediate location. Stopping, she looked around at the people near her, searching for whatever had triggered the feeling. Other than a few lovers, some teenaged cheerleaders and a few guys ogling them, there was nothing really to trigger her sens-- _Wait._ Turning her head in the other direction, she began to look at the various restaurants and store facades, continuing her..._There!_ On one of the patios, seated at a wooden table with what must be a friend, was **her**. 

Tendo Ranko. The only true obstacle preventing the death of Saotome Nabiki. With her unguarded now, and combined with the new skills that Keiei had acquired during her training, there would be no way that the woman would be able to withstand an attack. Yes, Keiei decided as she spun and launched one of her Taifuu Shuu attacks, sending the whirlwind headed straight for the redhead as Keiei roared in all her glory, **"Time to pay for your interference, Tendo!"**

~*~

Scrambling back to her feet, the first thing Hikaru did was to check on Kuu's condition. The blonde had been leaning on the table at the point of the attack, and had been violently tossed into the next table over, which had thankfully been empty. Though bleeding from a cut on the cheek and currently unconscious, Kuu was otherwise unharmed that Hikaru could tell. She couldn't really use her powers as the goddess of Cephiro here; they just didn't work that well on this side of the dimensional barrier when it came to using it on others. Thank the kami (well, the ones of this world, at any rate) that Kuu was okay, not needing more than the cursory first aid assistance, Hikaru gave a sigh of relief. 

The second thing she noticed was the scrambling of people as they turned to head away from this whole location. Rather than check on the pair that had been attacked, people ran this way and that in a sad display of "every man for himself"; one pathetic man grabbed his wife and muttered as they left, "This place is as bad as Nerima!", a comment Hikaru didn't understand but wasn't worried about at the moment. Within just a couple of minutes, only Hikaru and Kuu remained in the immediate vicinity of the attack point. 

The final thing that had Hikaru's attention was the woman that stood before them, battle aura glowing as a deep shade of blue. Standing in a martial artist's pose that Hikaru couldn't easily identify, she said, "Are you ready to die, Ranko?" 

"I think you've got a case of mistaken identity, miss," Hikaru cried as moved to cover Kuu. 

"I think not!" she snarled, leaping into the air and coming down in a flying kick. Hikaru had just enough seconds to move Kuu to relative safety before bounding out to the open space of the boardwalk and shouted, "Why are you doing this?" The woman instead failed to answer but however rushed towards Hikaru, throwing a rapid-punch attack that the redhead dodged by sheer luck. Still in the arc of attack, the woman spun and loosed a roundhouse slice kick that slammed Hikaru across the ribcage, sending her flying into the sand, bowling over the two cheerleaders and scattering more people away from the immediate vicinity. 

Hikaru tried to stand up, ignoring the supernova of pain that was raging through her midsection. Looking at the stranger, she shouted, "Why are you attacking me?" 

The stranger stood over Hikaru, her eyes full of rage. "Have you forgotten already, Ranko? Apparently so, because your martial arts skills have fallen off. And once I defeat you," she said, holding up a fist haloed with her angry, dark ki, "I will kill your cousin and take what is mine!" 

"You have the wrong person," Hikaru snarled. "My name is Shidou Hikaru, and I don't know this Ranko person of yours." At Hikaru's words, the woman froze, looking at her with a gaze that couldn't be described. Suddenly, Hikaru wasn't sure if that was for the best. 

  
Keiei dimly heard the woman's words, with only her name ringing in her mind: _"...Shidou Hikaru..."_ Looking at the woman before her, she superimposed the face of Tendo Ranko over it, and found that though the two were very similar, there were differences. Tendo had a far shorter braid, and the color of this woman's sienna eyes were nowhere near that of Tendo's deep blue orbs. 

Not to mention that Tendo was pretty good at combat, Keiei had to admit. This woman, on the other hand, had dodged three times--and unsuccessfully the last--but had not counterattacked. What little Keiei had seen said this woman had some training in a martial skill, but that karate was not likely to be it. Additionally, the fighting spirit in this woman was not as ferocious in this girl as it had been in the other--in fact, it was apparently pretty much nonexistent. 

"Shidou Hikaru?" Keiei whispered, unable to believe her good luck. 

"Yes, that's who I said I was," Hikaru commented, hoping that this was all a horrific misunderstanding. 

It wasn't. 

With a speed nearly as fast as her fists, Keiei pulled out her black katana and thrust it at Hikaru, screaming, **"DIE!"** Fortunately this time, the redhead was prepared and despite the pain, rolled out of the way. There was a sizable spray of sand as the blade bit fiercely into the beachhead, Keiei snarling with anger at Hikaru's lucky maneuver. Raising her blade, she turned to swipe at the redhead. 

Hikaru, frantically looking for some way to defend herself, was tempted to will up her sword, but declined to, as this was neither the time nor place for a provocation. Pulling out a sword in this situation could make an already bad situation worse, and using her pyromancy could do more damage than good right now. There had to be a way out of this..._There!_ Instinctively, Hikaru grabbed it and swung in a parrying motion. 

  
Keiei's second attempt at taking down Hikaru was thwarted when the redhead brought up one of the abandoned majorette batons and parried Keiei's blow. Although there wouldn't be a second chance to do so as the instrument snapped in two from the blow, it did stop the blade and gave Hikaru the chance she needed to get away. 

Hikaru scrambled back, leaping towards a small scarp and trying to find some way to defuse the situation. "Why are you doing this? Who are you?" 

The woman with the nightshade sword narrowed her eyes in anger. **"You don't remember? You don't remember how you plunged my world into hell seven years ago?!?!"** The woman shook with anger and vitriol so pure, the redhead gazed in wonder, as though it were something truly alien and incomprehensible to behold. **"Seven years ago, you beat me in a duel, and made my life hell, damn you!"**

The years peeled back in Hikaru's mind. "Ano...seven years? You mean the Meguro-ku Kendo Championship?" Hikaru unintentionally grinned at that; the victory had been her first competition in the Art, and a personal victory for her, since she'd switched from gymnastics to kendo only the year prior. Initially, she'd been reluctant to follow in the family footsteps, especially since her brothers had been kendo talents themselves, but now it seemed even more natural than her gymnastics, and even a godsend in light of her adventures in Cephiro. But the thing that she remembered most was that she defeated a girl who had been widely expected to win the tournament, a girl named... "Keiei? Fuitamu Keiei?" Hikaru gave a second smile, and said, "It's been a long time." 

The smile and recall of her name, unfortunately, did not engender goodwill in Keiei. Raising her blade to strike, she uttered an inhuman growl of rage and hatred. 

Hikaru, coming back to the present, looked at her attacker with confusion. "But that was seven years ago, Keiei! We were just kids then! Why harbor a little loss for so long, if you've clearly improved?" The irony of the whole situation was not wholly lost on the redhead kendo artist as she said that. 

**"YOU RUINED MY LIFE!"** the armed woman shrieked. **"BECAUSE OF YOU, I LOST MY HONOR! I LOST MY FIANCÉ! I LOST EVERYTHING!!!!!"** Keiei swung the blade down and sheared the rock in half, with Hikaru leaping out of the way. **"I WON'T REGAIN MY HONOR AGAIN, UNTIL THE LAST DROP OF YOUR LIFE'S BLOOD DRIPS OUT OF YOUR BODY!"**

Hikaru, realizing that a fight was no longer avoidable, pirouetted in mid-air and landed in a ready pose, preparing to call up her fire magic and summon her sword. Idly, she noted that she'd have to be careful, as there were still some people around, and the police had not arrived yet to put an end to this. Looking at her now-enemy, she said in a sorrowful voice, "Well, if there is no more alternative.... Let's have at it then."  


Keiei looked around at all the innocents that were beginning to watch the beginning struggle between her and the redhead harridan. Though she wanted Hikaru dead, killing others wasn't going to help restore her honor. Yet, there was a way to deal with Hikaru, but she'd have to time it exactly right. 

Sliding the sword back, she focused, charging up her ki and making her aura shine with a dark, sinister light. Staring at Hikaru with the darkest look that she could, she snarled, "I wish only to kill you, wench. I would like to leave the innocents be." 

Hikaru let out a small sigh of relief at that, saying, "and for that, I'm glad." 

"Furthermore, as you have no weapon at the moment, to kill you would be...." Keiei, through her rage, sought the best word, then gave up. "Though it would be a true pleasure to kill you--" 

"So I gathered," Hikaru interjected, a note of sorrow in her voice. 

**"SILENCE!"** Keiei thundered. "As I was saying, it wouldn't be as satisfying as if I didn't defeat you and then spit you on my blade." The raven-maned woman gave a small smile that might once have been cute, but had long since been banished by the cold loathing that was flickering in her eyes. "So, if you're brave enough, meet me at the Kenkaku-gaijo in Gotemba." Hikaru tried once more for reason. "Fuitamu-san, there's no reason to do this...." 

Keiei said, "Oh, I assure you there's **every** reason to do this." Rage building within her, she roared, **"AND IF YOU CAN'T FIND ONE, I'LL PROVIDE YOU WITH IT!!!"** Sweeping the blade forward and towards the ground, she screamed, **"FUITAMU SUPER ATTACK, SUNARASHI TSUNAMI!"**

  
The earth rippled once, then exploded in a massive column of sand reaching towards the sky, carried up by a dark spiral of bioenergy until it blotted out an already cloudy sky. As it reached its zenith, it started to come down, threatening to bury a huge portion of the immediate area. People began to turn and run, fearful for their lives, but strangely, Keiei watched as Shidou Hikaru watched the sand wave's descent with a disaffected, almost detached air. 

The onslaught of grit, gravel and shells blasted to the ground, burying a sizable portion of the boardwalk and shopping center. Storefronts and restaurant patios were trashed by the crest of natural destruction, spraying debris and damage all over the locale. Those few unlucky souls who had decided not to move were swept up by it and flung around like toys, crashing painfully into objects. Missile damage was everywhere as items broke free and were sent flinging out of control. Within minutes, a large portion of the elegant and posh shopping center had been turned into a disheveled, sandblasted ruin. 

There was an eerie, unnatural quiet, punctuated only at sporadic seconds by the crash of the waves against the shore, the occasional soft beep of the harbor's buoys, and the settling of the destruction. Suddenly, one portion of the sand began to heat with a temperature at first equivalent to a few hours before, then increased to that of a summer afternoon. And still it increased, heating to that of the Sahara desert and continuing on to incredible temperatures, the sand beginning to glow with a red hue. The glow continued as the area began to shimmer with heat waves, changing to an angry red and eventually settling into the superheat of white. Finally, there was an explosion of scorched black glass as the transformed sand gave way to a column of raging flame like a fiery mole burrowing out of a new hole. 

At the last, a sand-smothered, gasping Hikaru climbed from the whole, gulping deep breaths of air into her lungs, ignoring the intense heat that she had immunity from anyway. Battered from the unexpected sand attack and still trying to regain her breath, Hikaru collapsed on the scorched glass, though she looked around, ready to fight Keiei. She was not in her optimum condition to fight the other woman, but that was no longer an issue. There would be a fight, and there would be a fight now. 

  
"Well, it appears that you've improved. You might almost be even a challenge, Shidou." 

Sienna eyes darted skyward to the top of the overpass, near where the Shimbashi monorail's station was. Standing on the top of the train was Keiei, with a frighteningly familiar shape at her feet. 

**"KUU!"** Hikaru screamed in panic. Bad enough that Hikaru had forgotten her in the midst of what had been occurring, but now her friend was in Keiei's hands. **"Let her go! I'm the one you want, Fuitamu-san!"**

"I seem to have gotten your attention, Shidou. Don't worry, your friend will be safe. It is you I want to kill, not her." Keiei smiled grimly and added, "As long as you meet me at the location in two days, she'll stay safe." 

To her credit, the redhead forced herself to her feet and looked up at her enemy with eyes that bordered somewhere between anger and sorrow. "Let Kuu-chan go!" 

"I think not," Keiei said, pointing her blade at the redhead. The ravenhair gave a self-satisfied smirk and whispered, "Kamisori no Tokugawa." A dark blast of energy ripped away from the blade, lancing towards Hikaru at an incredible speed. The redhead, still trying to recover, had no defense whatsoever. The shot slammed into her forehead, whipping it back and sending her sprawling to an unconscious clump on the ground. 

As the monorail began to pull away from the station, Keiei allowed herself a faint smile of accomplishment. After all this time, she would regain her honor by spilling Shidou's blood. She would have to make plans to attend to this woman at her feet, and when that was done, her next stop would be Nerima. A quick dispatch of Tendo Ranko and Saotome Nabiki, and then she would show her newfound family her regained glory as she eviscerated Shidou Hikaru, completely and utterly. 

~*~

**_SECOND ROUND: The Day of the Long Blades_**

Hikaru felt terrible. 

It wasn't so much the pain that was aching through every iota of her body--though that didn't help much, either--but rather the fact that Kuu had been kidnapped by that woman, and she was in danger...all because of Hikaru. 

All because of me, the redhead thought, her musings dark and painful. 

Though the police had been quick to assist, apparently they were writing off the whole thing as "yet another Nerima-style martial arts incident," whatever that meant. She'd heard a couple of names mentioned--Sao-something or other, Hibi-wazzis, but to be honest, they were so unimportant to the situation, she really didn't care. They merely took her statement, promised they'd try to find Kuu (though they were sure that she'd pop up on her own, soon enough) and called it that. 

That was two days ago. 

Since the incident, Satoru had taken a fiercely protective stance of his sister, pretty much all but letting her out of the house. Masaru, living nearby, made sure that he or his girlfriend Chidara were available for assistance at all times. Kakeru, too busy with his studies at the JASDF Academy, couldn't break away to come home, but he'd thoughtfully spent a couple of hours on the phone with his little sister, making sure she was alright. 

But the fact was, no she wasn't. She wasn't, by any stretch of the imagination. She was being hunted, by an opponent that wanted her dead. She'd never, in her life, ever had to deal with that before. Granted, she'd been through a lot: people trying to stop her to the point that killing her was a possibility, people wanting and desiring her, being in a torrid love triangle, and even ascending to the Godhood of a world, but being hunted was a new experience, and one that she was sure that she didn't like. 

So far the only good news was that she hadn't taken serious injuries during her initial conflict with Keiei, but considering, she would have preferred that she'd been seriously injured if it had meant that Kuu was safe. However, that wasn't turning out to be the case, so Hikaru would have to find some way of dealing with what was no transpiring, and to save Kuu, deal with Keiei and walk away from this alive. 

  
"Hello, Hikaru?" Masaru waved his hand in front of his sister repeatedly. "Hey, you okay?" 

The redhead blinked. "Um...yeah. Sorry, Masaru-nisama. I'm...." 

"I know," her brother replied. The two were sitting at the table, having a breakfast wonderfully prepared by Chidara. Satoru was away for the next few days; he had a scheduled tournament for the family dojo, and he reluctantly went, as the two younger Shidous assured him that Hikaru would be safe in Masaru's care. 

"Oh please cheer up, Hi-chan," Chidara said in a cutesy squeaky voice that made the redhead want to scream. Granted, she was a wonderful person and would make a wonderful wife for Masaru, but she tended to grate on Hikaru's nerves. A girl about Hikaru's age with mint-green hair and soft hazel eyes, Chidara embodied cuteness even more than Hikaru did...and that was saying quite a bit. Whatever overdosing on cuteness anyone had ever accused the youngest Shidou of, Chidara literally was. Besides, Hikaru hated being called "Hi-chan". 

"It wasn't your fault, Hikaru," Masaru commented, reaching out for his sister's hand. "You couldn't have known that winning that tournament when you were a kid was going to lead to this. There was no way you could have known." Taking it in his, he said, "Kuu will be okay, Hikaru-chan. I'm sure of it." Behind him, Chidara gave her a cheerful, benevolent grin that made Hikaru internally fight to keep herself from throttling her future sister-in-law. 

"I wish there was something more I could do," she moaned, depressed. 

"Hmmm...maybe my older brother could help...." Chidara mused out loud. 

The redhead caught that and grappled on to it like a lifeline. "What did you say?" 

"Well," Chidara commented, her face screwed in concentration that just looked completely adorable, "my brother's a police officer in Nerima ward. From what Chimaru tells me, the section where he works is known for strangeness, so he's usually tied up in taking care of that. But he might be able to give us some sort of help." 

For the first time in a couple of days, Hikaru actually smiled. "That'd be great, Chidara-chan." 

Masaru smiled. "Well, it's a plan then, ladies. After breakfast, we can all go, since I don't have to work today." For that pronouncement, he got a big hug from his sister, feeling that the end of this might not be that far off, and that Kuu would be safely returned to their custody. 

Oh, how wrong they were. 

~*~

Tendo Nabiki read the events of the other day, embedded on the front page of the paper and knew instantly what it meant. **She** was back, which meant that she was coming for Ranma. Which **also** meant over Nabiki's own corpse. _Great--as if I don't already have enough problems._ Her father, unable to take the strain of his wife and then his daughter dying, had simply given up the will to live and was getting sicker and sicker every day. Nothing that the remaining two Tendo sisters could do to cheer him up was helping any. The look in Kasumi's eyes was changing from one of cheerfulness, to one that reflected a truth that Nabiki refused to accept: their father didn't have (or rather, want) much longer to live, and would soon leave them alone on this Earth. 

Another problem was that somewhere in the past four months, she'd become a mother. Not literally, of course; she wasn't dating anyone and hadn't even considered such things, but the fact was that she was practically single-handedly raising her nephew. Additionally, she'd taken him a couple of times to college, and whenever she went somewhere, chances were she would take him. But he was becoming such an effect on her "extracurricular" activities that her old partners had slowly begun to take over, phasing her out of their operations and pushing her by the wayside. Which was, Nabiki admitted to herself, probably for the best--although only a baby, she didn't want to expose Akama to that sort of thing. Besides, from what she'd seen Ayame and Kumi getting into lately, it was only a matter of time before they crossed the line into crime...and that was not a line Nabiki had ever been willing to cross. 

Lastly, there was the matter of Ranma. She was doing all she could to keep her brother-in-law's spirits up. On the bright side, the incident months ago had brought him back to the living, and though he wasn't his old self again, he was functioning a little more like a human being. While it didn't help Akama's cause, there was the hope that Ranma would be soon coming back to a semblance of coherency that he'd give Nabiki a break. To speed that process, Nabiki had begun to do whatever it took to cheer the martial artist up. And, she found it was worth it: little by little, the shell was cracking, and Nabiki was determined to break that shell and see him happy once more. 

However, even that seemed problematic: her father, during the few times he came out of his room, had seen that and was beginning to hint at a pairing between Ranma and Nabiki. No one else in the house had seemed to notice it as of yet nor would think of such a thing, but it was only a matter of time, she expected, before Tendo Soun was to take his son-in-law and youngest surviving daughter and engage them, something that she did not want, and she was sure that Ranma didn't, either. Did she love Ranma? Yes--but not in that way. He was like a brother to her now, very much a part of the family and even if she felt romantically attracted to him (which was by no means the case), it was clear that he thought of her as a relative. Besides, anyone who wanted her way into the heart of Saotome Ranma had to first get past Saotome Akane, and though dead, the memory of her was still an overpowering force in his life. 

  
"Nabiki?" someone commented to her. "You okay?" 

"Um, yeah, Ukyo." Nabiki gave a wan smile while looking at one of Ranma's two best friends...and slowly becoming hers, as well. The okonomiyaki chef knew that knew that being romantically linked to Ranma was going to be impossible as of late, so she comfortably settled into the usual role of his best friend. In doing so, she'd become a close friend of Akane's, and eventually that of the entire Tendo and Saotome families as well. It was now unthinkable to not have her around, and she'd been very helpful and a total asset during the crisis the family was having over the course of the past few months. 

"You're thinking about that Fuitamu woman, aren't you?" Ukyo asked, unconsciously feeling the slight scar that had come about when she'd taken on the woman in Akane's stead. She'd been lucky to survive that due to Keiei's warped sense of honor, but the scar remained as a reminder of how determined that woman had been to win Ranma's heart in the worst way possible. 

"That obvious?" Nabiki asked. "I mean, she only wants me dead because she thinks I'm Ranma's wife. I've only just started retraining in the Art, and only that because Daddy and Ranma want me to be able to protect myself, which right now won't do a damn bit of good against her skill." 

"Don't remind me," Ukyo muttered. "She dropped me like nothing." 

Nabiki nodded in understanding. "She won't stop until she takes that sword of hers and cuts off my...." Nabiki trailed off, falling into a nervous silence before mouthing, "Oh no...." and pointing at the window. 

Walking down the street, though fortunately not looking into the window, was Keiei, headed in the direction of the dojo and with a look of expectant triumph and murderous intent etched on her features. She had her blade at her side, and from the looks of things, anyone who was willing to counter her would meet with a swift and painful end. 

Ukyo saw her as well. "Nabiki, get behind the counter. I want you protected in case she sees you." Nabiki didn't have to be told twice. Ukyo herself went for her battle spatula as a precaution, but found herself prevented by Konatsu. His eyes were glittering with a fierce light, something very rare and dangerous to behold on the shinobi. 

In a cold voice, he asked, "Ukyo-sama, Nabiki-san, is that the woman who attacked you?" When both women nodded in the affirmative, Konatsu looked out the window at her receding back and said, "I will deal with this." 

~*~

Walking down the streets of Nerima, searching for her brother's police konban, Chidara led the two Shidous through Tokyo's purportedly most violent and chaotic ward. For reasons unknown to Hikaru, Masaru had chosen to bring a bokken along, though he'd covered it in a cloth wrap. Was there some sort of trouble he was expecting that she didn't? It was possible, Hikaru had to admit, but still she didn't want to bring a weapon, as that could not only show that she was afraid of Keiei, but might also flare up a confrontation should the two run into each other, not to mention the fact that the police might take things the wrong way. 

Holding onto her beloved's hand, Chidara said, "It should be just a few more blocks to go." Dragging the pair around the corner, they moved straight into... 

...complete chaos. 

~*~

Keiei stood stock still, only a few blocks from the front gate of the Tendo-Saotome dojo. Pulling out her blade, she checked the hone of the blade, ensuring that the weapon was ready for combat. In less than a few seconds, she would kill her obstacles and be rewarded with a loving fiancé and a child to call hers. Admittedly, the baby would not be of her own blood, but she would love it all the same--it wasn't the child's fault that it was born to a fiancé-thief like Saotome Nabiki. 

"Turn around, Fuitamu." The voice was cold, threatening, and someone who she'd never heard before. It didn't matter. She was going to teach the person a lesson, anyway. Turning ever so slightly, she noted a young woman standing in front of her. A kunoichi, the girl carried two wakuzashi and was already in an offensive position. "You are a menace," the kunoichi declared in tones slightly below that of abject hatred. "You will be dealt with, miss." 

"Not by the likes of you," Keiei yawned in a clear lack of interest. Turning to face her foe, she said, "It appears that Saotome's wife is such a coward that she must have others do her fighting for her. A pity." 

Konatsu didn't know the whole story about why Nabiki was being hunted by this woman, but he knew that insulting Ranma's deceased wife wasn't going to earn this woman any points with him. "A pity you do not respect the bonds of matrimony!" he snarled as he rushed in, both blades ready to strike. 

Keiei moved easily out of the attack by leaping over him and while spinning, executed a fierce slash that intended to disarm him--with the force behind it strong enough to literally cut the appendage off. However, the kunoichi ducked under the blow, rolled forward, then spun and leapt towards her in an attack, which she countered. Blades clashed in a harsh spark, and backing off, more rapid exchanges were thrown. Konatsu varied the motion of his blades as he attacked, while Keiei moved her single katana around with a speed fast enough to make up for Kontasu's weapons advantage. 

Seeing that he would have to go up against her with a bit more power, the ninja struck forward a few more times, then vaulted back and sheathed both wakuzashi, then reached into his tunic and pulled out a wad of ensorcelled sheets of paper. Punching forward, he called out, "Fujin Seikyu Sho!" The windblade sheets glowed with mystic energies as they rocketed out towards Keiei. Finally, they impacted against something solid, and acting like grenades, they detonated, causing a vibrant amethyst-and-emerald pyrotechnic display and obliterating what they'd hit... 

  
…which was not the swordswoman, as evidenced by the burning, slagged remains of the neighborhood mailbox. "I can't believe you thought I was going to fall for something that inane!" Expecting the move, Keiei laughed and moved with a panther's grace, easily outmaneuvering Konatsu's wind slash by bolting around him at the last second, then dancing around him as the fireworks had begun. Twisting, she made a beeline for him and arced her blade upwards, dealing a blow to his back with the edge of the sword. Realizing that the plan had failed and that she'd pounced on him like a cat attacking a rodent, he'd fortunately dodged quickly enough, or else the match would have been over before it began. As it was, there was a price: the blade still struck true, through the fabric of his tunic and drawing blood as it etched a new diagonal scar on his backside. He dodged two more rapid strikes in quick succession, not being given enough time to withdraw his blades. Hoping to buy enough time, Konatsu slid to a halt, turned and loosed a small storm of shuriken at his opponent, the triangle-shaped throwing stars racing towards the young woman. 

Keiei saw them and countered it easily. **"Kaminari Enkodate!"** Spinning her blade until it began to shimmer with a sort of electrical force, the improvised shield easily deflected the projectiles. Still swinging the blade around her at a centrifugal-plus speeds, she shouted, "I can play that game! Enkodan!" She swung the blade in front of her, and loosed an energy chakram, the hoop launching towards the ninja, who had to move clear of the explosion. Although he managed to escape the blast as it blew away somebody's Toyota, his unprepared dive caused him to skid on his belly for a few before slamming into the nearest wall. Seeing his tunic was in tatters, the kunoichi ripped it off and revealed that he wasn't exactly a kunoichi, per se. 

Keiei was a bit stunned by the revelation. "You're-you're a guy?" 

Konatsu kippuped back to his feet, redrawing his twin shortswords. "Never said I wasn't." Seizing the advantage of her surprise, he dashed forward and moved his lift blade with the swiftness of a gale. Unprepared to counter it, Konatsu's blade bit deeply into Keiei's side, drawing blood in a crimson gout as the swordswoman bit off a scream. Dashing out of her reach, Konatsu turned to face his foe. "As much as I have the advantage, I would like to end this. Do you yield?" 

Keiei's eyes radiated anger. "Yield to you! Hah! Never!" Raising her blade and ignoring the spreading stain on her shirt, she snarled, "You are good, and for that you will be spared, though you will know pain!" Concentration and pain etching itself on her face, she grunted as her dark aura exploded into life, the deep midnight color swirling and dancing around her like a nightmare mist enveloping Kali in her dance of death. "Akanegumo Chizu!" She roared in an inhuman tone as her back seemed to erupt with an eerie, arcane force. Reaching out of her back came eight tendrils of energy, each tendril joint and having the disheartening appearance of spider's legs. 

"Masaka...." Konatsu said, his eyes widening in total disbelief. "That's a forbidden art of the ninja! No one's supposed to know that!" 

"You'd be surprised," she said, flashing him a dark grin. Pointing her blade at him, the legs elongated and raced towards Konatsu with the speed of a pack of ravenous wolves. The shinobi, knowing what the spell would do, leapt to his right in a desperate attempt to move out of the path of the blasts. Six of them impacted solidly against the wall behind him, shattering the wall like building blocks and leaving the telltale scars of acid in what was left. The remaining two, however, slammed into Konatsu with a fury. He howled in pain as the energy splattered against him, bursting in all directions and enveloping him in a cocoon of dark strands, to the point where nothing could be seen of him. Within seconds, a glowing, dark blue cocoon about the size of a human being lay on the ground, moving around as though something was trying to break free of it, and muffled screams of agonized pain. 

Without delay, Keiei bolted forward, holding her blade raised over head, and said, and roared, "And now this ends!" Reaching the cocoon, she swung her blade in a downward arc, the edge slashing through the cocoon and drawing blood and a blue, noxious fluid. As the strands evaporated, Konatsu lay in a pool of blood with a vicious gash running down the center of his chest and countless azure-hued acid burns all over his body. In his hands lay the remains of his weapons, the blades melted and slagged away to uselessness. 

He reached towards her, whispering, "D-damn you...." but collapsed back, too weak to do much more. 

Taking some gauze, she took it and wrapped it around her tightly, making sure he didn't move. Pulling a cel phone out of her back pocket, she began to dial for emergency, saying, "Don't worry. You'll live. The variation of the attack I learned isn't fatal, but I daresay you'll be paralyzed for a few weeks." About to dial for emergency services, something caught her attention and she leapt away, bringing her blade back to the ready position as a katana sheared off the top of her phone. 

Keiei faced her opponent, a man in his twenties wearing a polo shirt and slacks and holding his blade with the measure of a true expert. "I believe round two begins now, miss," he said calmly, the anger shining in his eyes. 

Keiei sighed as though she had better things to do. "And you are?" she asked in a bored tone. 

"Shidou Masaru," he answered in tight tones. "And I'm here to address what you've done, woman." With the pleasantries dispensed, his blade sung out as he began a high-speed rapid thrust that roared with all the anger that was building within him. 

~*~

It took all of Chidara's willpower not to scream in terror. A rather unworldly girl, she had never been exposed to violence before, and now here she was, seeing enough to make anyone squeamish. 

Hikaru stared at Keiei, locked in a battle with what appeared to be a ninja. Though he was fast and certainly skilled, he was no match for Keiei, as she brought him down with a ki-attack that she'd never seen before, one that looked eerily like a spider ensnaring its prey. She watched as the combat ensured and the ninja went down in a net of ki energy. Keiei slashed the net and brought her opponent low. 

"Keiei...." Hikaru whispered, her voice sounding so oddly distant that the redhead wasn't sure if she'd said the name or not. 

"Is that her, Hikaru?" Masaru asked in a tight voice, to which Hikaru nodded. "I thought so. Stay here and protect Chidara-chan. I'll deal with this." Removing the case that held his bokken...or rather, what Hikaru had thought was his bokken. In truth, it was his katana, the one that he'd been given when he'd been pronounced a grand master of kendo. Each member of the Shidou family had one, and each was well attuned to his or her specifications. The silvery blade glittered as he drew it out of the green scabbard, the green and gold of the hilt and handle glistening as though it knew it was being drawn for a noble purpose. 

Before either girl could stop him, Masaru jetted into the fray, ready to deal with his foe. It was all Hikaru could do to hold Chidara as she began to shiver in fear, and for the redhead to quell her own worry. Taking Chidara in her arms, Hikaru whispered, "Let's get to somewhere out of the line of fire, Chidara. I don't think we'll be safe here." 

_I may never be safe again,_ the redhead mentally added. 

~*~

Keiei pushed herself to move out of the way of the rapid thrust attack. Hikaru's brother was fast, and had a very different style than his sister did, from what she remembered of Hikaru's style. However, he wasn't much of a challenge to be honest, as his moves were somewhat predictable, making him very much the proverbial one-trick pony. Although she wouldn't kill him just as she had not done with the ninja, she knew that if she seriously wounded him, the redhead would soon follow. And so she made her plans, and those plans would work to her advantage. 

Finishing up his strike, Masaru leapt back as Keiei began her counteroffensive, initiating her assault the second that he'd completed his. Moving even faster than he had, he moved furiously to block every move that she did, but to no avail: on what he expected to be a rightward slash, she changed direction and stabbed forward through the hole in his defenses, ripping into his shoulder and scoring. 

Masaru yelped in pain as the blade sank in, but he moved back and brought his own blade down, knocking hers away but forcing the blade out of his body, causing more damage. Feeling the electric tingle of trauma running through every nerve in that immediate area, he stepped back, resizing his opponent. She was good, no doubt about that, and she knew how to use her inner ki to attack. He hadn't learned that much yet, but he was fast and agile and had defeated many a ki-empowered opponent before, so the situation couldn't be as dire as it seemed. Although she wanted to kill his sister and probably him by extension, he had no such compunction. His was only to protect his sister, rescue her friend and make sure this Keiei woman saw plenty of time in a Japanese correctional institution. 

A whisper came from the ground: "Be careful. She is deadly." It was the downed ninja, lying helpless in his own blood and looking up at Masaru with a bleak gaze. "She will destroy you if you are not careful." Without looking down, Masaru nodded; he didn't want to take his eyes off Keiei, but he felt that he needed to acknowledge the downed ninja. 

Then it dawned on him. **Really** dawned on him. The person lying on the floor was a shinobi, one of the legendary shadow warriors of Japan. They were heavily trained with a seriousness that rivaled--and probably outdid--that of his own kendo training. These guys had to be good, and doubtless even the worst could be a challenge. The fact that this one was lying on the sidewalk in serious condition meant that he'd been beaten handily, and that this woman was dangerous. This also meant that Masaru was over his head. **Way over his head, indeed.**

As if she was finished toying with him, she slammed her blade into the floor, shouting out, **"Tsugaru Wave!"** Spreading her arms out, the sunken point of the blade and the palms of her hands caused a triangle of force, from which a torrent of dark energy unleashed from it. The blast of power was too wide for Masaru to block with the blade, and if he escaped, it would mean certain death for the ninja, and a waste of a life like that was something he was not willing to abide. So as the blast of ki came into range, he did the only thing he could: he moved his blade into a double-handed blocking position, moving in front of the downed man in order to take the brunt of the hit. 

And hit it did. It slammed into both men with enough force to toss them like matchsticks in a gale. Both were blasted through the wall, into the yard of the household that the wall had belonged to, and several feet onto the property. Through the smoking hole in the wall, she could see the residents of the house scattering and running away; that was for the best, as they wouldn't be injured in the struggle. She also saw Shidou slowly getting back to his feet and raising his blade; the ninja she could tell was unconscious, but still breathing. Masaru had managed to take the brunt of the blow and still get up for more. 

Masaru looked at the woman with murderous eyes as he wiped a line of blood from his forehead. Every bone in his body was screaming in pain, and he was pretty damn sure that things were not exactly in correct alignment in his rib area. But if it was the last straw, he was going to take this woman down, or she would take on Hikaru and kill her. Satoru was probably better at this, and Kakeru wasn't nearby to call on for help. It would have to be him and him only. Raising his blade, he dashed in towards Keiei. 

  
Keiei simply stood there, blade still stuck in the ground as her opponent came towards her. She didn't move to pull her blade out of the concrete. She didn't need to. As Masaru raced in towards her, she simply gave a soft, beguiling smile that at some other time might have been construed as alluring. She made no indicator that she was going to move at all. 

As Masaru came within striking range, he swung. 

She blew him a kiss. 

Passing her, he stumbled a meter or so before falling to the ground a pool of blood beneath him. Behind him, standing in a defensive pose, was Keiei, holding a tanto in her hands, the blade sticky and wet with the sudden drawing of blood, namely his. As he felt himself going numb, she bent down beside him and said, "You knew I was better, and you fought anyway. Such strength is to be commended. It's a shame I'm already spoken for and that I have to kill your sister, otherwise I would be interested in you." Lifting his head gently, she kissed him on the forehead and said, "The wound wasn't serious, and it'll heal in a few weeks. Take care of yourself." Pulling some white sheets out of her pants pocket, she wiped her blades clean, sheathed them, and walked down a different street, away from the Tendo Dojo. 

Keiei was convinced: Shidou Hikaru was a problem that wasn't going to go away easily, possibly even more of a problem than Saotome Nabiki and her protector were. Besides, with all the commotion, it was likely Saotome Nabiki had heard anyway and had plenty of time to hide. The answer was clear: Hikaru would have to be dispatched before she could take on Ranko. Otherwise, she might have to deal with them both, and while she might be able to do it, the fact that more and more people were entering the fray was indicative that both Shidou and Saotome were not interested in fairness or honor, and would do anything to stop here. It was turning out to be stop them, or be stopped herself, for good. There was no choice, now: she had to end it. 

~*~

_I can't deal with this anymore,_ Hikaru said to herself, hours later. She'd just come back from the hospital, where her brother had been admitted. The wounds he'd received from the battle were serious enough to warrant an overnight stay, but he'd be back on his feet in the next couple of days or so, the wound Keiei gave him not having been grievous. The odd thing about it, though, was that he'd revealed what Keiei had said to him, and Hikaru found that somewhat disturbing that Keiei had even entertained such ideas. But mainly though she was worried about her brother, she was proud of him for stepping into the battle on her behalf, as well as probably having saved the life of the ninja. 

As for that shinobi, Hikaru found it just as bad that Keiei had other enemies as well: she was apparently creating them left and right, it seemed, and the redhead wondered what the woman had done to anger a clan of shadow dancers. As for the ninja's condition himself, she didn't know what happened to him; as soon as the ambulance arrived, he managed to get himself to his feet and retreated, leaving the area. She hoped he'd be alright, because he looked to have fared much worse than Masaru had. 

_< kill to wants she that only on, going what's care doesn't She fault. her it's and crossfire, a in caught being are>Now, Hikaru stood here in her family dojo, standing in the center of the room, deciding the action to be taken. Should she fight, or try once more for reason? To reason with a woman who'd already proven that such a method was a completely and utterly non-existent concept. Hikaru was setting herself up for failure if she did that, and she'd already had more than enough failures in her life. _

_Fuitamu, why are you doing this? What do you stand to benefit from this? Is killing me for some insignificant thing that happened so long ago so important to you that you're willing to kill everyone and everything in your path? And even if you kill me, who's next? How many bodies do you have under the leaves, Fuitamu? How many innocent people are you hunting? _

No. In the end, you can't be allowed to run all over the place, doing as you wish. You have to be stopped. And I guess since I'm the one currently under your blade, I'll have to be the one to repel it. Without even realizing she'd done it, there had been a flash of flame, and her fire sword appeared in her hand. At first she was surprised to see it, but then remembered that she no longer needed a crutch like the escudo gem to store her equipment; the Fire Knight gauntlet was nothing more than an ornament, nowadays. But that of course, wasn't the point. Twirling and moving the broadsword in her hand with a methodical ease, she knew that she was destined to fight Fuitamu Keiei once more. Self-preservation demanded it. Honor demanded it. Love for her brother and her best friend demanded it. Justice and all the basic elements of all that demanded it. And such a cry could not be denied. 

  
_But it's not in the job description here._ Mournfully, Hikaru banished the sword back to wherever it went. The fire sword was not some toy, not some pigsticker to wave around on this world at will, but a symbol of what she was as the Knight Commander of Cephiro. Even more so, as the Pillar of Cephiro, the goddess of that world, she could not afford to sully her own image and honor by such an act. Maybe she was adding too much of a mystic layer to the whole thing, but when push came to shove, she was on the other side of the dimensional barrier. Earth was where Shidou Hikaru, everyday college student and part-time kendo instructor lived; not Shidou Hikaru, Goddess of the Realm, Fire Knight of Cephiro, Knight Commander of Cephiro, She Whose Trips to the Toire Didn't Stink, and whatever million other titles they'd tacked on to her name since the last time she visited. She might not feel that she was a deity, but apparently she was one whether she liked it or not, so certain rules applied. 

But this problem was for Shidou Hikaru the girl, not the goddess, not the knight, and she would have to deal with it in such a manner. It might even be the best way out of this whole mess. _Maybe someday,_ she realized, _I might feel different about that. But not here and not now. _

Walking over to the wall rack where the family katanas were held, she retrieved a scarlet-sheathed one, enhanced by a fiery, sun-bright gold. Gently tugging it out of its home, she drew forth her katana, a weapon she was familiar with long before she'd ever heard of Magic Knights or mystical planets or Holy Spirits that came in the form of marshmallow-shaped bunnies. Holding the blade aloft, she whispered to the room, "Tonight, Fuitamu-san, you've made a critical mistake. You've made an enemy out of me, just as you wanted. I don't know why or how you started this, **but I sure as hell am going to finish it!**" 

Resheathing the blade, Hikaru left the dojo, heading for her room. She had to pack and take care of a few things before she would head off to Gotemba and the destiny that awaited there. 

~*~ 

_

**THIRD ROUND: All Our Times Are Done, Here But Now They're Gone **

_

The Odakyu train rumbled along the track as it sped through the forest on the way to its ultimate stop in Kyoto. Passing through the relatively unpopulated section of Japan's forest, it left a reminder of man's intrusion into the forest world that had been here for longer than anyone had ever been. Somewhere in the life of the world, that was how things worked. Nature came, and the Japanese rejoiced, and somewhere along the line, they invited technology along for the ride, and slowly but surely nature was succumbing to urban creep. Not as fast as in other nations, but still too fast for the forests' animals to ever understand. 

From her seat on the train, Hikaru could almost understand the primal anger that nature seemed to have when it came to retaliating against man. She'd read in an article in a magazine that some quack at Hiroshima University believed that typhoons were becoming more commonplace because the kami were mad at the advance of civilization over the rocks and trees that were the homes of the spirits. Logically, that was a load of shit, but at the same time, it seemed to make so much sense. Hey, if Hikaru even went on as thin a limb as that crackpot had, it explained a bit about Fuitamu. She seemed to be all "venom and hatred," as the saying went, and to some degree, she was very uncontrollable. 

As Hikaru debarked the train in Gotemba station, she headed directly for the ryokan where she'd be spending the weekend. Under normal circumstances, she'd probably take her time getting there, stopping for a coffee at a local café, or going shopping for miyage with Kuu. But the sword she had wrapped in cloth on her back reminded her that she wasn't here for sightseeing, the backpack she carried with her including a first aid kit giving her the foreboding that one way or another, it was not going to be a pleasant weekend holiday--and that was assuming she succeeded in rescuing Kuu and defeating Fuitamu. 

As Hikaru arrived at the ryokan, she made the set up for two rather quickly, informing them that her friend would be arriving later in the day, and to please ensure that everything would be set up for it. As soon as the room was complete, Hikaru wasted no time in going back out, heading over to the train station, but heading on a different track, one that would take her to the dueling arena. There, walking amongst the families and lovers, people going about their normal lives, was a woman who was about to do something out of the norm of the life she had on this world. She was on a rescue mission, a trip to save a friend. 

As she waited for the train to pull up, her mind once again wandered towards the whole Byzantine situation that had arisen, and how to deal with it. For a second or two, Hikaru had an impulse to contact Fuu or Clef and ask their advice; she also thought waiting for Satoru to get back and ask him for an opinion. Immediately, however, she clamped both ideas down. Satoru already had to forfeit the tournament as he raced home to the family emergency; talking to him would likely exacerbate an already horrific situation. As for the nobility of Cephiro, they would have called it a Knight's Quest, for the Fire Knight Commander was heading out to do battle against a dark foe to rescue the Duchess--_I still can't believe they gave her a title!_-- Kuu; somewhere along the line the people of Cephiro would find out and it would turn into the Pillar's Holy War, entered into whatever Holy Books or Scrolls or whatever got passed around on the planet, and made the stuff of legend, something she didn't want. 

Then, she got on the train, and there was really no more to discuss as it rolled off towards her destination and her destiny--a battle she would either win and save her friend; or one she would lose, and with that loss, lose her life as well. 

~*~

To the casual observer, the Fighting Grounds in Gotemba forest, well away from the central part of the city, was a beautiful clearing in the forest, deep enough not to be bothered by the hikers, nature lovers and fishers; but close enough to be accessible to town and thus not requiring a long journey to get there. Despite the fact that it was not used as much as it was in older times, it still saw occasional use, and thus was kept in maintenance by a local temple that saw it as more of a treasured symbol of Japan's past than the killing grounds that they actually were. If it were not for its main intent, the grounds would have made for a nice picnic and camping area. 

The arena itself was a manicured ground that could have doubled as a grass-style tennis court if it had not been for the fact that it was as round as a Sumo ring. The grass itself was lush and green; only those studied in the past knew the reason behind it was because of the amount of blood spilled there like Russia's equally lush Steppes plains, and not due to nature's intent. Marking the circumference for most of the circle was a ring of stones, simple and unadorned in their beauty, while the remainder was marked off by a two-meter drop that led to the local river that flowed eventually to the sea. When standing in the center of the ring and facing northeast, the topmost part of the shine could be seen, and likely the priests who maintained both locations could see what went on as well. 

However, none of this was really explained to Kuu as she lay there, bound and gagged, trying not to move because she was still afraid that her kidnapper would harm her, despite the woman's promises not to. Fuitamu Keiei had told Kuu why she had been abducted, as well as the events of her encounter with Shidou Masaru and the results of that. Kuu was both relieved that Masaru had survived, considering that Kuu had watched this woman train and had seen exactly what this woman was capable of. 

Sitting on one of the rocks, sharpening her nightshaded blade, Keiei gazed back at Kuu with a lack of interest and said, "Relax, Hououji-san. You'll be released soon enough--after all, I'm expecting that you'll have to carry back Hikaru's corpse back to town. I might even be inclined enough to notify the local authorities for assistance." There was almost a placid calm in her voice as she brought the blade to a razor's sharpness. "Do you know, Hououji-san, that after today, I'm finally on the way to having a normal life again? I'll have my honor back, and after one more unpleasant issue to deal with--" 

"You mean one more person to kill," Kuu said, anger and worry for Hikaru in her voice. 

"Point," Keiei admitted. "In any event, I'll be free to wed my fiancée and raise my child the right way, the honorable way. Perhaps maybe even after that, we can be friends." 

"Not on your life, Fuitamu-san. I couldn't be a friend to a murderess like you!" 

Keiei was about to respond to that when she was interrupted by a simple, "Fuitamu." 

Without even bothering to turn around, Keiei responded in murderous tones, "So you're here. Good. Time for you to die." Keiei turned around to face her opponent, a look of cool rage on her face, and her hand on her sword, though she hadn't drawn it from its scabbard just yet. 

"I don't agree with you," Hikaru answered, determination set on her own, and embers burning in her eyes. 

Both opponents stared at each other, and were it not for the tension, the two would have seen the irony in how they were dressed. Keiei, already sensing victory, was dressed in archetypical Saotome clothing, with white, the color of death, as her tang's color. Hikaru, prepared for a fight, chose jeans and a black tube top, her clothing looking normal as to what Keiei typically wore. Had the situation been different, it would have been amusing, almost comical. But it couldn't be that way as the swords strapped to the side of either woman clearly demonstrated. 

Some silent signal went off, and within the span of a second, the two combatants dashed towards each other to meet in the center of the ring. There was the slithering sound of blades being withdrawn from their scabbards, followed by the metallic clang of said blades clashing against each other. Black metal and silver steel danced and collided in an awestriking martial ballet, their fates controlled by the two women who maneuvered those fatal slivers of death. 

Hikaru fought with sword styles never before seen on this world, each parry, stroke and thrust developed by generations upon generations of Cephiran swordsmasters. While Keiei was obviously not even remotely familiar with them, her speed allowed her to keep up with the Fire Knight. The two women continued to hammer at each other, each using various styles and moves, but neither gaining the upper hand. Even in the few occasions when one was able to break through the other's defenses, there was nothing there to hit. Hikaru's gymnastics skills and Keiei's knowledge of martial arts counters prevented either from taking hits. The end result of all of this was the pair clashing the swords against each other, wearing each other thin to the bone. 

After ten straight minutes of slashing and counter-slashing, the pair broke off and leapt away to relative safety for the moment. Hikaru, leaping back and landing over by Kuu, gulped harshly for air for a few minutes. She was hot and covered in sweat, and the battle had only just begun, to be honest. This woman, Hikaru had to admit, was good--too good. Like the old saying went, this woman was definitely born to the sword, and she would have been possibly one of the best swordsmasters in all of Cephiro had she been there. _Either that, or if Zagato or Debonair had enlisted her, life would have been hell for all of us--Nova would've been a cakewalk in comparison._ Immediately Hikaru shut that line of thought down--the least thing she needed to dwell on was that whole beyond-bizarre Nova sequence. 

After a couple of seconds, Hikaru finally became aware of someone speaking to her. "Hikaru, get out of here!" Kuu, still bound, was screaming at her. "She's insane! She's going to kill you!" Although Hikaru didn't look at her friend (she didn't want to waste the strength turning her head, or risk taking her eyes of Keiei), she could easily make out the fear in Kuu's voice. "Please, Hikaru! We can find some other way around this!" 

"No, Kuu-chan, there's no other way. She nearly killed my brother. She wants to kill me. After me, there might be others. I can't allow her to do whatever she wants. Someone has to stop her, and it has to be me." Hikaru brought her blade up, and noticed that Keiei was in similar shape. Forcing herself into a charge, Hikaru raced forward then within seconds altering course and headed for Keiei's unprotected flank... 

  
...and right into Keiei's hands. Seeing her target dashing towards her, Keiei decided to end this in the most painful way possible. Leaping out of Hikaru's strike, she landed on the far end of the circle from her, calling out, "Nice try, Shidou, but it won't save you from the grave!" Slamming her blade into the ground, she unleashed her Tsugaru Wave attack, clearly knowing that if Shidou's brother couldn't block the attack, there was no way that Hikaru could. 

So it was to her surprise that Hikaru, with a move that totally surprised Keiei, countered by leaping into the air and calling out, "Ryusei Kenbu!" Torrents of steel homed in on Keiei as Hikaru went into her Shooting Star Sword Dance, and for a second or two, it seemed that the redhead was throwing thousands of swords against her opponent. 

The end result of it was the onslaught of high-speed metal against a powerful wave of ki. The pair clashed in the center of the dueling ring, and the resulting explosion and thunder of power was overwhelming to all senses. However, that was not the only effect, as the release of force was enough to shatter their section of the dueling arena, sending both women tumbling to the river below, amongst a landslide of earth, dirt, and stones. With both women caught off guard, there was no way to recover, and possibly no way to survive. 

~*~

The last thing Hikaru heard before the blackness claimed her was Kuu's terrified scream of **"HIKARU!!!!!!!!!!!"**

When she came to, she was lying in a river eddy, the streams gently washing over her. By some miracle of fate, she hadn't been drowned in the pull of the river, and had managed to end up washed ashore on some soft riverbank by a bed of rocks. Moving her tired head as much as she could, she couldn't identify the place. She could be dozens of kilometers down from where she'd been originally, or maybe just a few hundred meters. 

In any case, she was here, and tired. So, so, tired. Her body ached in every spot possible, as well as new ones heretofore unfelt. She found that other than moving her head and looking around (which took a lot of her strength), she wasn't capable of that much movement. Was she paralyzed? Was she easy bait for the hunter coming after her? There was no way to know, and little time to react. 

Without an explanation, the redhead felt herself being lifted out of the water. Unable to really move, she did the only thing she could: she looked up, expecting to see Keiei's face and to hear a comment of, "I didn't want to get wet while I killed you." Instead, she got quite a different visual answer. For a split second, all Hikaru saw was the face of a ghost. She was exceedingly beautiful, with fair skin, and eyes and hair a soft, pale gray; she was reminiscent to some degrees of pictures of the Yuki-onna that Hikaru had seen from time to time. Additionally, the face was framed by a soft orange light that seemed reminiscent of the sun's first rays at dawn. 

Hikaru found herself set down by a bunch of weathered rocks. On a red-stained rock, there was a small stone shrine, with several dozen dried flowers near it. The area around it seemed well tended and manicured, which meant this place was frequented regularly. Additionally, it didn't take much for the exhausted Hikaru to figure out what the stain was on the rock. Someone had died here. Someone like the person--the ghost--who had just saved her life. 

Before she could comment further, she felt the sudden need to rest. Unable to explain why she felt as though she was sliding into a peaceful, dreamy slumber, Hikaru slipped into the arms of Morpheus before her conscious mind could sense that she might have stepped into a trap...or worse. 

_I feel safe now, and I don't know why._ Hikaru pondered this as her eyes closed, slipping back into darkness. 

~*~

_Grrrr...dammit, where the hell is Shidou?_ Keiei mentally barked, walking through the woods with her black blade at the ready. Whatever Shidou had initially appeared, it had turned out to be a totally different story. She was no wallflower, Keiei realized; she did have some fighting ability after all. However, she was a total cheat, blowing out the ground from under them and hoping that it would overwhelm the brunette. Well, Keiei was made of sterner stuff, and it was going to take quite a bit to floor her. Besides, such a desperation move meant that either Shidou thought with little originality, or was a completely craven loser. It didn't matter, anyway; she was going to die. 

A kilometer from where they'd started the fight, she came across Hikaru's sword. Keiei had to force herself from laughing. _What an idiot! Does she really think I'm going to fall for that?_ It was obvious that she abandoned it to make herself appear unarmed, which was a total sham. After all, if Shidou were any sort of real kendo artist, she would at least carry a wakazashi or spare weapon on her; Keiei wasn't so stupid to believe that the woman lost it during their fall into the riverbank. Ergo, it had to be a distracting tactic, and a very lame one, at that. 

Keiei stared into the sky. It was well past noon, and in fact, the sun was beginning its lazy decent towards the horizon. She grinned. It would be a day to remember. It would be a day that would see the end of Shidou Hikaru, and soon after that, Saotome Nabiki. And with that, a new day would dawn for Fuitamu Keiei. 

  
A few more meters downstream, she came upon her quarry, currently having the temerity to insult her. There was Shidou, taking a nap right next to a stone shrine. The nerve of her! Did she think this was some sort of joke? That Keiei was playing some sort of bizarre game? Well, if that was the case, she was going to deliver to Hikaru a killer punch line. 

Racing in for the kill, Keiei raised her blade up over her head. It was going to be one slash, one kill--she intended to cut down Shidou in half, the true mark of skill. Leaping into the air, she mentally counted the centimeters as they shrank in distance. There was no way the redhead could escape her fate. 

**"SHIDOU HIKARU, PREPARE TO MEET YOUR FATE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" **

~*~ 

At the sound of the scream, Hikaru came back to consciousness in a flash. Looking up, she saw Keiei bearing down on her, blade at the ready, and closing the gap exponentially per second. Hikaru realized that without a weapon, she would have no way to defend herself, and even should she manage to find some way to dodge Keiei's initial attack, that would put her at a decided disadvantage. Still there was no other choice that Hikaru could see, none at all. 

So be it. 

As Keiei swung down, there was a pulsing flare of flame, and the ring of metal against metal as Keiei's katana slammed straight into the fiery metal that was the Sword of the Fire Knight. Parrying with lightning quick speed, Hikaru shoved Keiei back violently. 

"I knew it," Keiei snarled. "Did you think me so stupid that I would fall for your lost sword trick?" As Keiei moved into a more comfortable stance, she looked at Shidou, noticing something different. For starters, the redhead had switched postures, and was now in a stance completely unfamiliar to her--it looked unlike any Japanese practice that she'd ever seen, and from what she knew of European and American styles, it didn't seem to fit that, either. The second thing she noticed was the unusual sword that Shidou now carried. If Keiei didn't know better, it seemed as though Hikaru had summoned it in a ball of flame, and that the sword seemed to have a igneous, heated feel about it. Additionally, it seemed to change sizes, from two-handed to bastard to one-handed, depending on what the girl needed at the time. Obviously such a concept was impossible, but it was possible that Shidou was playing tricks once more. 

_Well, if she wants a trick, I think I can provide one._ Jamming her blade into the earth before her, she began to glow with the unholy light of her battle aura, as she prepared to loose pure killing force against the redhead.   


On her side, Hikaru stood, holding her Fire Sword in a classic Cephiran defense. All along, she hadn't wanted to do this. But in the end, who was she kidding? Keiei had to be stopped, and Hikaru had the means to do so. What good was Hikaru's abilities going to do if she wasn't going to use them? More importantly, what point was there going to be in being a knight and a goddess if she wasn't going to live up to her own code of honor? 

_Even if I win here and now, will that really deter you, Keiei, or will you just come back when I don't expect it? You may be still somewhat honorable now, but how much more until you descend into complete and utter madness? Should I expect a knife in my back years from now? How many people will you kill in that meantime, Keiei?_ Hikaru looked into the dark, hatred-filled eyes of her opponent, searching for the child that she must have been once upon a time, searching for whatever happiness was still left within the creature of anger and darkness. Sadly, Hikaru could see nothing; whatever joy there had been in Keiei once was now buried under a heavy patina of rage and animosity, assuming there had ever been peace in her world to begin with. 

_I made a vow to stop you, Keiei,_ Hikaru's mind echoed, _but I can't help feeling sorry for you. You've never known happiness, and it's only bought you a cycle of pain and suffering. Nonetheless, I'll do what I have to do to end your reign of hatred. I might not be the same naïve person that I was years ago, but I have to put an end to this, or else you'll only end up hurting more people._ Copying Keiei's move, she brought up her flame aura, beginning to charge up for an equally powerful attack. "That I will not allow!" Hikaru found herself saying aloud, her own righteousness coming to the fore. 

Both women were glowing with extreme power; Keiei darkening the area around her with her indigo, nearly black ki, while Hikaru's flame aura, if it were not magic but natural flame, probably would have started a major forest fire. Some distant part of Keiei's mind noticed Hikaru's power and tried to send a warning to the active consciousness, but unfortunately it was translated as: Attack First. 

**"PREPARE TO DIE, SHIDOU HIKARU!!!!!!!!!! TSUGARU WAVE!!!!!!!!!!"**

**"YOU'LL HAVE TO DO BETTER THAN THAT, KEIEI!!!!! AKAI INAZUMA!!!!"**

At the same time, Keiei unleashed a surge of ki, as Hikaru cut loose with her massive spell of plasma, both forces of power racing at each other, tearing up the ground between them as both attacks headed for point-blank impact. Upon collision, there was enough force to shake the trees, the brunt of the shock neutralized. However, the mid-afternoon sun had been overwhelmed by the incandescence of the blast, and it appeared as though the sun had decided to open up an annex in the center of the forest. 

As the impromptu lightshow ended, Hikaru braced for treachery. Grabbing her sword, she went into an offensive position, determination building within her. 

As Keiei did the same, she commented, "I'm impressed. Maybe you'll be worth the kill, Shidou." 

"I don't think so," Hikaru replied, in sorrowful tones, making one final plea for sanity. "You may want to kill me, but I don't want to kill you. Walk away from this, Keiei-san. Please. Whatever happened to you, we can talk about it...resolve it without bloodshed." 

"You know, if there were any other way, maybe I would, Shidou. Maybe there might have been a time when we could have been friends. But the time for that is far too much past, and my only hope is to kill you now." 

"Please, Keiei. This is your last chance. Give up, because I won't give any quarter." 

Keiei's answer was to raise her sword into an attack stance. "Are you ready to die?" she asked, her voice dripping with challenge. 

"Hajime," Hikaru snarled between clenched teeth. 

They began to size up each other, readying for the final fight between the two, one that only one would walk away from. The two began to circle each other, searching for weaknesses and strengths, looking for openings in each other's defenses. Despite the injuries and exhaustions of both, no quarter would be given or taken. This was the end of the road, and destiny had to play itself out. 

  
Signaled by a round's bell that only they could hear, Keiei lunged in, her mouth open in a silent scream of rage. Swinging Murasame with enough force to cause it to whistle as it cleaved the air, she slammed the blade home with such power that it rang against the metal of the Fire Sword, a high crescendo that could be heard echoing throughout the entire forest. 

However, Hikaru had expected that move and parried, then slashed forward, stepping well into Keiei's defense and striking for the other woman's shoulder. However, Keiei took advantage of the attack and sidestepped before racing in, stabbing as she went. Hikaru moved by luck, and the black blade missed her side by inches. With the other so close, the redhead made a counterattack, initiating a rapid sword thrust that moved with the speed of lightning. 

To counter, Keiei leapt free of the area then threw a single-hand ki attack, sending a blast of energy towards Hikaru. Hikaru leapt to the side, however, and executed a wide slash that sent a wave of flame towards the sorceress. The stream of flame slammed Keiei and flung her into the water of the river, scorching her arms. As Hikaru raised her sword for a downward slash, Keiei raced forward and threw several high-speed punches to Hikaru's torso before leaping back to recover her katana. The 50-or-so high-speed punches nailed Hikaru squarely in the chest, flinging her back a couple of meters, causing her to scream in pain as she coughed up a glob of blood. 

"That was just the beginning, Shidou. You're going to beg for your death by the time I'm done!" 

"I-pikki, I-pikki, I-pikki. All talk, no action! This isn't over yet!" 

With that split-second past, the pair leapt at each other again. This time, the redhead executed a rising slash in mid-air while Keiei followed suit. The two attacks countered each other, and the force of the blows threw the two apart like rag dolls; the ravenhair was plowed into a tree, while it was Hikaru's turn to sink back into the river, her head impacting against a sharp rock. 

  
Forcing herself back to her feet, Hikaru ignored the rave party that was going on in her brain cells, the body parts that were begging for mercy, and the part of her conscience that was basically screaming "Run and Hide. NOW." .Her left arm was heavily abraded, and she was bleeding from a nasty little gash on her right temple. She mentally moaned, suppressing a wave of nerve-pinching pain that threatened to buckle her and put her down for good. Raising her blade once more, she knew it was crunch time, and that her life was at stake--but all the countless others that were also on Fuitamu's hit list--and under no circumstances could Hikaru tolerate the suffering of innocents. She had to stop Keiei here and now, no matter the cost. Dashing towards her enemy, sword down low and ready for another special attack, and aura blazing, she screamed an incoherent curse of fury, as righteous rage built in her soul. 

  
Keiei clambered back to an upright position, feeling lucky that Shidou had been unable to seize advantage of the situation. She ignored the ringing headache and the nasty scorches on her arm, instead using the support of the dented tree to stabilize herself. 

_She's much better than I thought she'd be,_ Keiei admitted. _Still, she has to die, or I'll never have a normal life. That's all I want. Just my Ranma and my child, being the best in the world, and no person is going to stand in the way of that, if I have to kill anything in my path to get it! _

Reconciling her strength once more, she saw as the redhead began to get back to her feet. Something at the sight of her nemesis assuming the offensive position caused whatever last bond of sanity left in Keiei's mind to snap, and Keiei became filled with a dark, murderous rage that changed her objective: she was going to win Ranma and her baby, if she had to kill a god to do it! Nothing would ever stand in her way, never again. 

Whatever was left of Keiei's humanity shed a single, solemn tear as the Mistress of the Black Blade completed her transformation to ill-starred martial artist to cold-hearted killer. Dashing forward, the tear was lost in the air, and to the folds of time. 

  
The pair engaged once more on the muddy banks of the river, Hikaru putting her strength behind a power strike while Keiei angled for killing, debilitating blows--whatever it would take to annihilate the redhead. Hikaru feinted to her left and struck in, gashing Keiei's leg, but this allowed Keiei to strike Hikaru's arm and loose a charged ki blast down the length of her blade. The energy tore into Hikaru's already injured arm, causing an explosion of power, flesh and blood, but it also left Keiei open again. Hikaru lashed out with a kick and nailed Keiei in the gut, but unfortunately jarred her ankle on landing and bit off a scream. Keiei, unexpectedly feeling the force of the blow, snapped to rapidly enough that she caught the redhead off-guard, landing a vicious slice to Hikaru's side. Hikaru screamed as she leapt back, preventing what would have been a fatal blow. 

Hikaru sprung back, barely able to last much longer. Keiei was stronger and faster, and was going to win if Hikaru didn't think of something fast. She realized that right now, she was not in the best of shape; in fact that was the main thing on her mind this second. Her strength was flagging, and she was bleeding profusely via a ton of lacerations, a black eye, burns on a couple parts of her body, and enough sweat and blood to make the wounds sting like a regiment of knives being stabbed into her as she took every painful step. Her clothing was bloodstained, ripped, or burnt in various places, and she didn't quite look the kawaii redhead that everyone was used to. 

Keiei moved into a defiant pause as she laughed, her voice breaking into madness where it would be forever. "You'll die, and I'll get my baby Nabiki'll die, and I'll get my husband. Die, die DIE, **DIE DIE**!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Without being aware of it, Keiei raced forward for her appointment with destiny. 

  
Hikaru wasn't sure how long she stood there. She tensed once more, her aura beginning to encircle her as her clothing exploded away from her, transforming into the armor of the Fire Knight. Every part of her was on instinct now, and it was going to be the only way to deal with this. Her aura became more powerful and brighter, as her armor glittered with its power shining through. 

Focusing on one last strike, she rushed to meet her enemy. Channeling all of her power into the blade, she raced around the madwoman several times, the flames encircling her growing higher and higher. Something opened in her mind, a gateway to another reality, and something from beyond swept in, like a Dragon Ascending to the Heavens. 

There was an explosion of flame as Hikaru did an uppercut of sorts with the Fire Sword, slashing Keiei in the chest just before the black blade would have slammed through Hikaru's face. There was an explosion of fire and heat, and Hikaru's aura became a raging dragon-shaped hurricane of energy, throwing a screaming, burning Keiei into the far distance, over the horizon. The shrieks of Keiei became entwined with the scream of Hikaru's rage, and the howl of a magical firestorm, and the whole situation met an endgame. Eventually, the pyroclasm dissipated, and Fuitamu Keiei was gone. Hikaru had won the day, somewhat worse for wear, but alive. 

Shidou Hikaru sank to her knees and wept. 

~*~

**_FINAL ROUND: Moving Closer Towards Destiny_**

"Are you sure you weren't imagining the whole thing, Hikaru?" Kuu asked the following morning. 

After Hikaru's victory, she'd passed out for a few hours. When she came to, the moon was out, and strangely she'd been healed, though she couldn't explain why. Hurrying back to the dueling grounds, she came upon a terrified Kuu, who was more than thrilled to see Hikaru. The relieved women held on to each other for whatever seemed like an eternity, before Hikaru summoned a second set of clothing and led the way to the ryokan. Both women had stayed up all night talking about the events of the past few days, and were now heading back home. Hikaru had already called her brothers and told of them of the news; needless to say, all three were angry with her for risking her life to fight Keiei, but were proud that she defeated the other and rescued Kuu. 

But before they were to return to Tokyo, Hikaru had one final thing to do. So here they were, back in the forest, down by the stone shrine where Hikaru had said she was rescued from drowning. But she never found the mystery woman. Could it have been a ghost or a kami of some sort? Hikaru wasn't sure, but somehow she suspected that the small shrine on the rusty-red stone had something to do with it. Maybe Hikaru had imagined everything in regards to the woman, but still, she felt she had to show some gratitude. As a result, she was making an offering of flowers to the tiny shrine, as a token of thanks to whom- or whatever was the one who had helped. It was a decidedly Western sort of offering, but considering the circumstances, somehow it felt appropriate to the redhead, though she couldn't decipher why. 

Kneeling by the small shrine, she replied to Kuu, "Maybe I was, Kuu. But I look at it this way: if it meant getting rid of Fuitamu and saving you, I think I can put up with the delusion. If it wasn't one, then I'm obligated to pay my respects, ne?" 

"Professional courtesy of a sort," Kuu answered, in a sort of agreement. Not having much more to say, she watched as Hikaru reverently placed the dozen carnations in front of the small structure, paying homage. When the task was completed, Hikaru got back to her feet and picked up her bag. "Well, that's that." Both women began the trek back to the remains of the dueling ground, which would likely never see use again, as most of it had been obliterated in the battle. Once there, they'd head back up the trail to the street. 

"A happy ending to yet another bizarre episode in the life of Shidou Hikaru," Kuu commented, a tinge of humor in her voice. "Next time, please make sure I'm left out of your private grudge matches, okay?" 

"I'll be sure to skip the 'rescuing you while risking my life' part," Hikaru said, giggling. 

"Touché," Kuu admitted. "So, we've got all day until the train until Tokyo. What do we do now?" 

"Well, I hear there's an outdoor museum park in town, in the Chukoku no Mori ward. Maybe we can go there, spend a nice afternoon, then come back to the main station in time for our train?" 

"That sounds wonderful. It's a deal, then." Kuu gave her diminutive best friend a grin to complete the deal. However, as the two reached the dueling grounds, the blonde felt compelled to ask, "So, what happened to Keiei?" 

"Well, she's alive, but she's not going to be able to menace anyone for quite some time. I hit her with a pretty potent attack, one that I've never done before. It's not like I could pinpoint the trajectory, but I think I may have put her on the other side of Japan." 

"You **what**?" Kuu sputtered, astonished. 

"It would take a long time to explain, Kuu-chan, it really would. But I know that I couldn't kill someone as misguided as her. She might be a bit on the homicidal part, but I think her life has made her that way, and I've taken more lives than I'll ever feel comfortable with--she wasn't worth it." The redhead looked down, then around at the forest. "This forest has seen ages upon ages of killing and duels, and for a minute, I thought I would be another statistic--either the killer or the killed." 

"Never, Hikaru. You've killed before, I know, but there was always a just cause. You're a heroine, Hikaru-chan, not a murderer." 

"Thanks, Kuu." Hikaru wiped a tear from her eye that had just begun to well. "You have no idea what that means to me." 

"Hikaru, for the past three years, you've been like my little sister, and my best friend. You might be a cute girl, but at your core, you're a warrior as much as your brother--even more than them, to tell the truth. But a warrior always has heart...especially when one is a goddess of another world." Kuu would have added something else when a thought suddenly hit her: "Hey, do you think she'll leave you alone now? That Fuitamu woman, I mean." 

"I hope so. I'd hate to think that I could do anything else that would merit her coming after me again." 

~*~

_The world is conspiring to keep my husband and my baby from me._

This was the main thing that was going though Keiei's mind...or whatever was left of it. Seated in the center of an abandoned, ruined Buddhist temple in central China, Keiei had found a crumpled home to match her crumpled mind. This, in a sense, was the perfect place for her; a location where she truly belonged for the moment. An empty, disheveled remnant of something once more honorable, just like its newest tenant. 

_I was happy. I had a husband, and we had a baby. Then that Nabiki woman took him from me and forced that witch Shidou to keep me from them. Shidou and her assistants--the chef, the ninja, her brother, and her martial artist clone. But I'll beat them and kill them and my husband and my baby and I will laugh with glee as I tear the husband-stealer and Shidou apart with my bare hands. Then, the Gates of Heaven will be open to me, and the world will sing the praises of my name._ Keiei's mind, no longer able to comprehend reality, had chosen one for her, one that would give her time to prepare. 

Keiei, through the light of the candles that had lit her new home for the past week, looked at herself in the broken remains of a mirror. What was clear showed a woman that had once been beautiful, but was slowly becoming no longer: she was becoming gaunt, her hair unkempt, and her body covered with scars and bruises still healing. Seated currently in the nude, she looked at her newest, most prominent feature on her body: a sizable gash that raced diagonally across her front. No man would likely ever come near Fuitamu Keiei ever again, would look on her with an attracted eye again. No one, save for the husband that her shattered, deluded mind believed her to have. 

_Wait for me, my love,_ she said to the image of Ranma in her mind. _You and our child may be held captive by the Thief and the Cheat, but I will gain you back if I have to wash the world in blood to do so._ And as always, Keiei sealed her vow by whetting the edge of the only true thing she had ever owned, the blade Murasame. A sword as black as her soul. 

Whetting stone ran across the length of the black blade, sharpening it for a day when Fuitamu Keiei would have her revenge. 

~*~

A baby wailed in the Gotemba forest. 

"Hush, little one," Nabiki said to Akama, seated safely in the pouch on her back. She'd decided to go hiking this weekend, mainly because she needed to get away. Ranma was quiet and reflective, and for the most part he was still amongst the living, but the look she'd seen in his eyes frightened her. It was a look that made her think he was going to kill himself, after all. She knew he wouldn't--to do so would be to abandon his son, which he would never do--but it was also something that unnerved her. 

Kasumi wasn't doing so hot, either. This weekend, the bulwark of the family had crumpled; Nabiki had never seen her older sister in that bad of a situation ever before, and now, everything had gone to hell. Nabiki's world was falling apart, and for the first time in her life she didn't know what to do. Genma was, of course useless, but in this case, even Auntie couldn't offer any suggestions. Ryoga wasn't around, having his own situation to deal with on his farm, and Ukyo would do what she could to help out, though she would likely stay in the background--it was, after all, a family situation. 

Trying to take charge of the situation seemed to work at first, and no one really but up any problems initially. However, it eventually overwhelmed her, as the immediacy of it ended. Eventually, the whole crisis had begun to drag her down, and that was, in her mind, not the right thing to do. So she did what her father, Ranma, and so many of the people she knew did: she decided to go on a "training trip" for the weekend. Seeing what condition everyone was in, she decided to take Akama with her; as the levelheaded one in the family, she was able to pull herself together enough to take care of him. Under the circumstances, it had become a situation where everyone was best fending for themselves, at least for the weekend. 

Eventually, she reached a place she'd never been before, relying on (of all ironies), Ryoga's directions. Sure enough, they turned out to be accurate, and got her there with no trouble. Hey, even he can follow a river, she thought with a mental chuckle. She followed the rather placid river for a ways until she reached a particular rock. It wasn't hard to find, after all. Ranma, about two months ago, had made sure of that. Seeing it, she was actually surprised that he hadn't built something a little larger to honor the memory of his only love. Something like, say for example, the Hasekawa Kanon. She quickly brushed that thought aside, realizing the fear that he still might be insane enough to do it. 

Setting the baby down, she took him out of the pouch and into her arms. In a comfortable spot at last, Akama fell asleep, as Nabiki sat down on a rock in front of the shrine. 

"Akane," she said to the shrine, "I...I'm not sure how I should handle this. But I needed to talk to someone, and frankly, everyone at home's falling apart. I came here to talk to you, because I needed to talk to someone, and to be honest, I don't know why, but your ashes in the shrine...they don't feel real to me, sis. They just don't. It's as though you're here, trapped here forever. Or maybe you're in the remains of Jusenkyo. I don't know. But here's as good a place as any, and certainly better than home." 

Tears began to well in Nabiki's eyes. "Sis...Daddy died last week. He couldn't take it anymore. Losing Mommy, then you…he gave up. Kasumi's losing it too. Hell, everyone's losing it. Sometimes I think that just Akama and I are the only sane ones left, and I'm not even sure about myself, nowadays." Nabiki tried to blink back the tears, but it was no use; they began to flow freely. "We're all adrift now, and none of us knows where to go anymore. 

"I've tried to hold up my part of the family, but too much has happened to me. This is the fourth funeral in as many months that I've had to attend. You remember my friends, Ayame and Kumi? Well, they're not my friends anymore. They stopped speaking to me, cut me out of my own business--just before they were arrested by the police for selling drugs. They...they killed themselves in jail to prevent their family's dishonor. That was two weeks ago." Nabiki paused and sobbed, not bothering to hide her pain. "It scares me that I would have been just like them, had I not become a mother." Hearing her words, she added a hasty, "Of sorts." 

Thinking of a way to explain the next part, her mind drew a blank. So, she decided to just be honest about it; she was sure her sister would appreciate it. "Akane, I've sort of become Akama's mother. Not really--I'll never take your place, but I love him so much and he needs a mother right now, and you know Ranma can't be both, even with his changing ability." She smiled at that. "But, I have to tell you this: Daddy engaged me to Ranma again just before he died. I'm obligated to marry him." Nabiki let that sink into her mind before saying, "But we won't, regardless of what Daddy asked. He's...how can I say it? He's my...he's my brother, now. Not brother-in-law, **brother**. He and I talked a couple of days ago. That's how we see each other. He and I and Kasumi, we're family--all I have left is them and Akama, and the Saotomes, and Ukyo and Ryoga and--" Nabiki suddenly realized what she was saying and gave a hint of a smile. 

"It's funny. You spent all that time at odds with them, and I never gave them a second thought. Now, they're the closest friends I have right now. And all because of Ranma--my little brother." Nabiki smiled, this time a little more earnestly. "I owe Ranma a lot. He gave us a lot of grief at first, but in the end, he brought us all together as a family. Now, he needs help, and I have to give it to him. But I don't know how. Sure, I've started retraining in the Arts and I'm picking it up again like there's no tomorrow, and Kasumi's teaching me a lot of the domestic stuff you were learning, but I don't feel like I'm doing enough, you know? 

"Sis, I came out here to ask for your advice. I need your help. What can I do to take care of our family?" 

For the longest time, there was nothing but silence. Finally, there was a rustle of leaves as something fell off the front of the blood-stained rock. Nabiki bent over to retrieve it, and found it to be a weather-beaten, dried remains of a flower offering that had been left behind. At first she wondered why Ranma had chosen to leave such a thing there, as it was a bit too Western of an action for him to do. Setting it back on the rock, she then noticed the card. 

< it does What family? for light of beacon A light? be me want you Do sis? you, from sign Is mean? can __

The answer came back in Nabiki's mind. _You already know, Nabiki. You knew from the moment you first held your nephew._ Nabiki nodded, the tears drying into resolve. Tendo Nabiki, the Great Yen Cobra, the Ice Princess, the Grand Schemer had died, replaced by someone more important: Tendo Nabiki, heir to the Tendo School of Anything Goes, devoted aunt to Saotome Akama and sister to Ono Kasumi and Saotome Ranma. That Tendo Nabiki was to be the hikaru, the light of her family in their darkest hour. 

Setting the card down into the aged bouquet, she smiled, happy for the first time in what seemed like forever. "Thanks, Akane. I'll take care of everything now, and I won't let you down." Setting the sleeping Akama back in the pouch, she slung it on her back and said, "Everything will be okay a year from now, sis. I promise." As a sudden flash of insight, Nabiki reached into her back pocket and pulled out her portable ledger. Placing it on the shrine next to the flowers, she said, "I don't need this anymore. Take care sis. Remember that I love you." 

With a lighter heart, Tendo Nabiki turned and walked back upstream, back towards the town of Hakkone, and the brighter future that awaited her, her nephew, her brother and sister, and the rest of their family. 

**_The Beginning…_**

**_Author's Notes: _**

Well, this completes a mobius of sorts. To think that the running joke in my **_Tales of Shampoo_** series would lead here is somewhat surprising, but then again, not really. I just never imagined that **_TOS_**' "Libby Windham is Fuu" joke would be taken as an idea for a **_TOS-Rayearth_** crossover, only to be transformed into the legendary **_Duet_**. So I guess this is payback for one of the most interesting fanfic ideas ever to occur. 

I wrote this fic (in coordination with VGAP) at Libby's request, because of the people who've asked her about the fate of Akane and Umi's betrayal. We didn't quite answer them, but filled in a gap in the middle years before those events and the point at which they meet. Whether more of the past will be filled in is a different story, for another time. Maybe someone else will fill in Mousse's transformation to Michael, or recount the fateful encounter between Shampoo and Akane, or the notorious liaison between Umi and Lantis. 

Until then, enjoy.  
Ja ne,  
--Rob  
99Nov17 

NEXT:  
Prologue 1: Music Box Dancer 


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